Micky van de Ven saves Thomas Frank again as Spurs salvage Man Utd draw

Spurs 2-2 Man Utd 

If there is one player who epitomises Tottenham Hotspur's renewed spirit under Thomas Frank, refusing to give up when others might, it has to be Micky van de Ven. The 24-year-old is carrying this team on his back at the moment like any true leader does and no one would be more grateful than his manager. Even as his team failed to win at home for the fifth time in six games in the Premier League with a 2-2 draw against Manchester United, his performance was a clear positive again.

Are there any other defenders in the world who would decide to embark on a barnstorming 80-yard run - beating five opposition players in the process - before delivering the kind of finish Harry Kane would be proud of? That's exactly what the Dutchman delivered in the 5-0 hammering of FC Copenhagen in midweek, even with Spurs being reduced to 10 men. He added another to his tally - six in 16 games this season - making Van de Ven their top goalscorer. Back at the same arena five days later, the Dutchman produced similar heroics - but at the other end this time.

Against United in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off, Van de Ven saved his team from another groan-inducing defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a defensive challenge that only he could arguably make. Benjamin Sesko was sent through by Mason Mount and from nowhere, the Slovenian's goal-bound effort was blocked by a stretching Van de Ven. His enormous strides allowed him to regain the ground, but the loud roar from the Spurs faithful suggested they believed he had no right to get back there and intervene. Going 2-1 down so late in the game would've been disastrous for Frank and it was no surprise that when Cristian Romero was taken off injured, he notably handed the captain's armband to Van de Ven. He was setting the standard with his defensive work, even if he had enjoyed a quieter game on the ball.

TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist named Van de Ven his man of the match and few could disagree. It was rare in that Spurs hadn't kept a clean sheet and eventually conceded two goals, but matches are decided by moments - and that one was particularly crucial for Tottenham and Frank. It renewed their belief and may well have contributed to Spurs turning the game on its head. Having trailed to Bryan Mbeumo's first-half opener, the hosts continued to press for an equaliser with João Palhinha and Brennan Johnson both denied by Senne Lammens. Brennan Johnson did beat the Belgian with a low finish, but the Welshman was clearly offside and there was no need for VAR.

But quick-fire goals from substitute Mathys Tel, and Richarlison, diverting Wilson Odobert's strike past Lammens, put Spurs in front in stoppage time. United have rediscovered some confidence under Rúben Amorim after an improved run of form and found a late equaliser through Matthijs de Ligt to make it 2-2 in the 96th minute. It wasn't exactly an ideal result for either side - Spurs still have only one home win this season and United are still poor away from Old Trafford. But it summed up how both of these teams are in a state of flux. For Spurs, at least there is some consistency in how their defensive hero Van de Ven is performing. Signed for €40 million from Wolfsburg two and a half years ago, the €55m-rated star is proving to be worth every single cent.