Van de Ven leads Tottenham charge as Spurs blitz Copenhagen in statement win

TOTTENHAM 4-0 COPENHAGEN: Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven scored a memorable goal as he charged from his own box to slot home at the other end

Micky van de Ven led Tottenham's charge to redemption - from the edge of his own box - as 10-man Spurs blew away the cobwebs to record their biggest win yet under Thomas Frank. As far as responses go, this pulsating rout was the perfect way to lift a deflated dressing room and disgruntled fan base, though Brennan Johnson's needless second-half red card did provide a brief scare and another reminder that nothing ever comes easy when Spurs are concerned. The Welshman had slotted the opener before Wilson Odobert doubled the hosts' advantage just after the interval and then Van de Ven took centre stage - serving up arguably the best goal the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has ever seen. Given Son Heung-min was once crowned the winner of the FIFA Puskas Award for his stunning solo effort against Burnley in December 2019, that is saying something.

But Van de Ven went one better than his former team-mate, driving his way up the pitch from the edge of his own penalty area before slamming home his sixth of the season in all competitions. On Sunday, he'd sheepishly knocked on Frank's office door to apologise for his post-match actions against Chelsea, when he appeared to snub the Dane before storming off down the tunnel alongside fellow defender Djed Spence. There was no better way to put the matter to bed and you could forgive Frank for grimacing as his imperious centre-back channelled his inner Gareth Bale because not only were Tottenham a man down but Van de Ven ran so fast, you feared for his hamstrings. Three minutes later, Joao Palhinha also notched the fourth from the bench as Spurs appeared to feed off the infectious energy created in the stands.

After struggling to open up Chelsea three days ago, Tottenham cut through Copenhagen like a hot knife through butter for the opener on 20 minutes. Xavi Simons, who was subbed on then off to cap a dismal evening against the Blues, registered his first Spurs assist from open play, threading Brennan Johnson in behind. The Welshman still had plenty of work to do, however, first rounding Copenhagen goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski confidently before applying a clinical finish from a notably tight angle. Thomas Frank's celebration was muted and that was soon vindicated because Tottenham were incredibly wasteful in the final third as they attempted to pick Copenhagen off. Paris Saint-Germain loanee Randal Kolo Muani showed flashes of promise but lacked cutting edge in the penalty box as Spurs pushed for a second. First he squandered a golden opportunity from close range following a slick, fluid move involving Odobert and Simons.

Somehow the Frenchman missed the target altogether before Simons displayed his creativity once again, this time sending in a luscious twirling cross that was nodded over by Kolo Muani. The World Cup runner-up did display an immaculate touch before teeing up Odobert for the second and Johnson was then dismissed for a horror lunge on Marcos Lopez as he became the first British player to score and be sent off in a Champions League match. Remarkably, it did not startle Spurs and only spurred them on as Van de Ven and Palhinha put the game to bed. Richarlison also squandered a late penalty won by youngster Dane Scarlett as the Brazilian rattled the crossbar for the second time on an otherwise thrilling night.