Crystal Palace striker reveals why he hates coming up against ‘very good’ Tottenham player
Jean-Philippe Mateta has now named one Tottenham player as the trickiest defender he has faced in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace have enjoyed a successful season, with the club winning their first-ever major piece of silverware in its entire existence when they lifted the FA Cup.
They also managed a solid Premier League campaign, finishing 12th in the table – a performance that has put their manager, Oliver Glasner as a potential managerial replacement for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, with the Australian’s future under fire.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has also been at the heart of the Eagles’ success this season, scoring 14 Premier League goals last term, after he managed 16 in the 2023/24 season.
Jean-Philippe Mateta praises the speed of Micky van de Ven
The Palace striker has been speaking about the toughest opponents he has come up against in the League, and he has named one of Tottenham’s top performers this season “tricky” to play against.
Mateta has praised Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven’s pace and has labelled the Dutchman a very good performer. Speaking to the Premier League, he said: “As a striker, you always make the runs. But this guy always comes to take the ball, you know. He is very good!”
Indeed, van de Ven is one of the quickest defenders in the League, and last season, no player ran faster than the Dutch defender, who recorded a top speed of over 37km/h.
Micky van de Ven continues to show his importance to Spurs
Van de Ven has been a big part of Tottenham’s setup since he joined back in 2023, and in this season’s Europa League final, the 24-year-old made his biggest contribution in a Spurs shirt, after he made a heroic goal-line clearance following a Rasmus Hojlund header into an open net.
The defender’s quality is clear to see by many, but still, he has not been without his struggles, as injuries often leave him sidelined for extended periods in a season.
However, when he is fit and in the starting XI for Tottenham, he undoubtedly makes the club play much better, with his recovery pace allowing Spurs to maintain a high line and press effectively.
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