HE’S A NEW SATION

Big defender is a real Dutch of class

MICKY van de Ven is as Dutch as windmills, tulips or those giant wagon wheels of Edam.

And Tottenham’s 6ft 4in centre-back was the big cheese in town as Spurs moved back into the top four above Aston Villa.

Van de Ven’s rocket was the catalyst for Tottenham to turn a hesitant first-half performance into a commanding one.

Hey, Micky, you’re so fine that line provided a lone excursion into the top 10 for Toni Basil in 1982, but Van de Ven is no one-hit wonder.

At €40 million, he has been the rock on whom Ange Postecoglou has built Big Angeball in north London’s Lilywhite heartlands.

On the final whistle, he was serenaded with the chorus from KC & the Sunshine Band singalong classic Give It Up after being given a chasing by Forest striker Chris Wood at first but then seeing off the inform Kiwi.

Excited

Before anyone gets too excited down White Hart Lane about a return to Champions League orbit, comedy legend Blackadder went fourth as well - and look what happened to him.

Tottenham’s last seven games include dates with Arsenal, Liverpool and - on the last day of term - Manchester City, so they will have a big say in the title race.

And in return, the top three will have a big say on Spurs’ top-four hopes.

This game had already been moved forward 24 hours because of a rail strike - which was subsequently called off but it was plunged into doubt again by a fatal stabbing outside the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Once Scotland Yard had secured the crime scene, Spurs eventually seized their chance to reach the top four like a glutton at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Back on the ground where he won only eight of his 17 games in charge of Tottenham - and he was a perfect fit for Spurs like a left glove on a right foot - Nuno Espirito Santo was hoping for a kinder hand from the football gods.

But Tottenham, who had conceded first in each of their last six home games, decided they were going to make the running this time.

Forest rock Murillo was only a yard wide with audacious 70-yard missile which caught Guglielmo Vicario off his line, and five minutes later the Brazilian’s luck was out again.

Timo Werner’s low cross was not destined to pick out another white shirt until Murillo turned it past his own keeper Matz Sels.

It should have been the cue for Tottenham to enjoy their own songs of praise when other congregations were dipping into their Low Sunday hymnbooks at evensong.

But Forest dug in and pinched a deserved equaliser when New Zealand striker Wood turned Anthony Elanga’s low cross past Vicario for his 13th goal this season - his fourth in as many games.

OPENER: Werner’s cross is deflected in off Murillo’s boot

Parry

They should have gone ahead when Vicario could only parry Dean Yates’ shot and Wood rifled the rebound against a post when it was easier to score. It proved a costly miss.

James Maddison was lucky to escape censure for a sly dig in the solar plexus which left Yates winded, but Postecoglou’s double change at the interval, replacing the woeful Pape Matar Sarr and ineffective Yves Bissouma, turned the tide.

Brennan Johnson, facing his old club, and Heung-min Son were crowded out on the edge of the box, but Van de Ven had no such problem, lashing a left-foot howitzer past Sels before the Forest keeper could move, only his second goal for Tottenham.

Six minutes later, substitute Rodrigo Bentancur flicked on Maddison’s cross and Pedro Porro slammed it home on the half-volley, sweet as you like.

Defensively, Forest were now crumbling like a stock cube and they were fortunate not to sustain further damage to their goal difference and stay out of the bottom three above Luton.

Imposed

Postecoglou was happy with his side’s second-half performance.

“It had a bit of everything,” he said of the game. “We got off to a decent start. We imposed ourselves on the game.

“We lost our way a little bit, but the whole second half we were very dominant.”

And he was delighted with Van de Ven’s performance.

“Just his sheer desire to be the best he can be.

“He has got so many great qualities. People talk about his speed, but he is strong and he is getting better and better on the ball.”