Tottenham Hotspur did not enjoy a vintage victory against Luton Town in the Premier League, but they secured another win nonetheless on a dry Kenilworth Road pitch on Saturday afternoon.
Ange Postecoglou's revolution is in full swing, with the Lilywhites now advancing to first place after securing their sixth victory from eight matches, drawing twice.
While Yves Bissouma got sent off before the break, inexplicably diving just outside the box while already on a yellow card, Micky van de Ven clinched his first goal from close range after excellent work from the ingenious James Maddison, who is proving to be the "signing of the summer" so far – as per TNT's Joe Cole.
How did Micky van de Ven play vs Luton?
The Dutchman was signed from German side Wolfsburg for £43m in the summer, and while this might seem a somewhat tall figure for a 22-year-old defender of somewhat unknown quality, he has been sensational so far in Tottenham white.
Against Luton, his first goal was both decisive and a testament to his positional awareness, but it was his overall game that showcased the full scale of his skills.
As per Sofascore, the centre-half recorded a match rating of 8.1 after impressively winning 100% of his duels, making a clearance and two tackles, completing 94% of his passes and taking 78 touches.
To think that Van de Ven is so early into his career on English shores is most exciting indeed, and while he was in fine fettle today, it was his partner, Cristian Romero, who enjoyed his crowning moment in a Tottenham shirt.
How well did Cristian Romero play today?
Romero, quite simply, was immense against a spirited, if profligate, Hatters attack, earning praise for his “incredible” display by football.london's Alasdair Gold, who also remarked that it was perhaps his "best performance in a Spurs shirt."
Earning an 8.0 Sofascore rating, the 25-year-old forged three tackles and interceptions apiece, won a whopping 11 duels, took 102 touches, completed 89% of his passes and also made a key pass.
His growing influence as a dynamic component from behind the midfield is becoming increasingly important for his outfit, who march on with yet another hard-fought victory.
As relayed by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare, Tottenham's Australian manager said of his outfit's burgeoning defensive strength: "A big part of that is Romero. He makes them (the rest of the back 5 who had never or barely played in the PL) feel like they belong and that they can flourish. He's an outstanding defender, someone you want in your team. Ridiculous bravery."
Truly, the Argentine is developing into the first-class defender that those of a Spurs affiliation always knew he possessed, if hadn't harnessed properly before.
As per FBref, the £165k-per-week colossus ranks among the top 5% of centre-halves across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 15% for interceptions and the top 21% for shot-creating actions per 90, with such qualities indeed on offer at against Luton.
His formidable presence at the heart of the backline will be integral in securing the lofty ambitions this season, and while it is very early in the campaign, there's no reason why Tottenham cannot keep a hold on title contention with Romero starring in central defence.
