Tottenham take on Liverpool on Saturday night in what is sure to be a tight encounter between two of England’s strongest teams this season.
Spurs will approach this match the same way they have approached every other game this season, they will adopt an open attacking style and try to outplay their opponents.
Of course, there are some limitations to playing this way.
Tottenham can often be vulnerable in defence, and against a team like Liverpool, that is a dangerous style of play.
However, according to Craig Burley, speaking on ESPN, Micky Van de Ven will play an important role in the match against the Red Devils, as this expert confirmed that the Dutch player’s speed will be very important in giving allowing Tottenham to play the way they want.
Burley shared his thoughts on this match and how the £35m defender will play an important role.
“They will try to play, they will push their full-backs back and they will leave the two centre-backs at the back because they know Van de Ven is quick,” Burley said.
“The way Tottenham plays, they will always leave the door open.
I agree, Van de Ven has arrived and I wouldn’t claim he is the greatest defender in the world, but one of his great qualities is his pace.
Van de Ven’s pace will be huge in this match as Tottenham look to deal with Liverpool during the transition period, but will it be enough?
Let’s face it, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah are three of the fastest players in the Premier League, and while they can spread the defense, even having Usain Bolt at the back is not enough to stop them.
Spurs will play very open and vulnerable, but Van de Ven will have to minimize the threat from Liverpool’s pace demons on Saturday night.