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When you are compared to Lionel Messi, you can tell that you have scored a special goal.

Even more so if you play center-half.

With Tottenham 2-0 ahead, but 10 men down, and Copenhagen’s pressure on them, Micky van de Ven could have been held accountable for kicking the ball safely into his own penalty area.

The Netherlands defender, however, had other ideas.

In the end, the Spurs fans erupted as one in anticipation as he sprinted past one, two, three players, squeezing past another two near the halfway point, and outpacing a Copenhagen defender to score.

And Van de Ven, who had scored one of the outstanding Champions League goals, did not let the finish pass past goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski. After being mobbed by jubilant team-mates, they both scored one more excellent goals.

After beating Danish side Copenhagen 4-0 to maintain their unbeaten start to the Champions League campaign, Spurs manager Thomas Frank said, “It seems like Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven and ran from his own goal to score.”

Van de Ven, 24, signed for Tottenham for £34 million from Wolfsburg in August 2023 and has recently added goals to his arsenal.

He added two goals to his team’s 3-0 win over West Ham, 2-2 Champions League draw at Bodo Glimt, and two more in the team’s 3-0 victory over Everton last month.

But neither of those compare to the one he received on Tuesday.

Van de Ven told TNT Sports, “I started dribbling and hoped they would catch up,” and they didn’t.

Some people were much more enthusiastic about the quality of Van de Ven’s goal, compared to Van de Ven’s effort to remain calm.

Former England international Owen Hargreaves described it as “one of the best goals you will ever see, ever.”

He “runs past players like they’re not even there.” That’s ridiculous. To continue fighting and then come to an end. Game over, season-ending goal.

Nedum Onuoha, a former defender for Manchester City, stated on Match of the Day: Champions League: “It’s top. Really, really good.

He ran more than half the length of the pitch before scoring Brennan Johnson in a 3-0 victory over Manchester United, similar to when he assisted at Old Trafford last year.

It’s difficult to understand who should stop those runs when defenders attempt them. We actually witnessed a player on the other side of the pitch who had no interest in him because of his size and quickness.

Former Premier League defender Curtis Davies said: “He kind of stepped out looking for a pass and nothing was on.” He was aware of the distance ahead of him because he was unaware that anyone was catching him. He was moving at a full rate.

After their team were booed off the pitch at the end of their 1-0 home loss to Chelsea on Saturday, it was a much-needed victory for Tottenham and Frank.

Even though they had won five points in their first three Champions League games, that left them with just one point from three successive home Premier League games.

The supporters responded to Frank’s plea for fans to support the team because they contributed to creating a fantastic atmosphere along with a passionate following from the visitors.

When Tottenham opened the scoring with a 19th-minute lead thanks to Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert added a second shortly after the restart to give Spurs a 2-0 lead.

When Johnson was sent off, the Belgian official Erik Lambrechts was being examined by the video assistant referee after the Welshman’s sliding challenge on Marcos Lopez’s ankle was revealed.

However, Van de Ven’s moment of magic quickly ended any chance of a comeback as Copenhagen lost favor with Joao Palhinha adding a fourth while the latter had a man advantage. In added time, Richarlison hit the crossbar with a penalty in added time, which was almost a fifth.

Afterward, Frank admitted, “We’re progressing, but we’re not where we want to be.” I was pleased with my performance because it was good. We discussed the importance of “bount-back mentality,” and how to handle setbacks in football is how you recover from a bad spell. From the beginning, we had complete control over the game.

It’s been a mixed few days for Van de Ven.

When Frank had asked the Dane to go and acknowledge the home supporters following the game against Chelsea, he and team-mate Djed Spence appeared to snub him.

Both players thanked each other for the incident, and Frank made a statement during Monday’s news conference.

You know you have scored a special goal when you are being compared to Lionel Messi.

Even more so if you are a centre-half.

With Tottenham leading 2-0 but down to 10 men and coming under pressure from opponents Copenhagen, Micky van de Ven could have been forgiven for launching the ball to safety when he got it on the edge of his own penalty area.

But the Netherlands defender had other ideas.

Off he went, sprinting past one, two, three players, squeezing past another two near the halfway line and outpacing a Copenhagen defender to get through on goal with the Spurs fans rising as one in anticipation.

And the finish did not disappoint, with Van de Ven slotting the ball past goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski, before being mobbed by jubilant team-mates having scored one of the great Champions League goals.

“It seems like Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, running from his own goal down the other end to score,” said Spurs boss Thomas Frank after his side thrashed Danish side Copenhagen 4-0 to maintain their unbeaten start to their Champions League campaign with two wins and two draws from their four games.

Van de Ven, 24, joined Tottenham in a £34m move from Wolfsburg in August 2023 and has recently added goals to his repertoire.

He scored in the Uefa Super Cup against Paris St-Germain in August, with further goals coming in the 3-0 win at West Ham, the 2-2 Champions League draw at Bodo Glimt and then two in the 3-0 victory at Everton last month.

But none of those can compare to the one he got on Tuesday.

“I started dribbling and thought I would see if they would catch up and they didn’t,” Van de Ven told TNT Sports.

While Van de Ven tried to stay calm about the quality of his goal, others were far more enthusiastic.

“It’s one of the best goals you will ever see, ever,” said former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves on TNT Sports.

“He runs past players like they’re not even there. To stay strong and then to finish, that’s ridiculous. Goal of the season, game over.”

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, speaking on Match of the Day: Champions League added: “It’s top. Really, really good.

“It’s like when he assisted at Old Trafford last season [when he ran more than half the length of the pitch before setting up Brennan Johnson in a 3-0 victory against Manchester United].

“When defenders go on those runs, it’s hard to understand who should stop them. With the size and the speed he has, we actually saw a player on the other side of the pitch who wanted nothing to do with him.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Premier League defender Curtis Davies added: “He kind of stepped out looking for a pass and nothing was on. Once he saw the space ahead of him he knew nobody was catching him. He was at full tilt, full pace.”

Van de Ven’s stunning solo effort will almost certainly go down as one of the best goals ever scored by a central defender.

But while defenders are usually noted for their prowess in front of goal, there is a decent catalogue of goals to go at from down the years from those usually employed to stop them.

BBC Sport looks at some of best goals ever from centre-backs and asks you to rank them.

Vincent Kompany (Manchester City v Leicester): Needing a win to go above Liverpool at the top of the table, Kompany smashed a 25-yard effort into the top right corner to help City to a 1-0 win.

Pep Guardiola’s side pipped Liverpool to the Premier League title by one point.

Anton Ferdinand (West Ham v Fulham): Ferdinand only registered seven league goals in over 400 appearances as a professional but his incredible volley helped the Hammers to a 2-1 win over Fulham in 2005-06.

Nedum Onuoha (Sunderland v Chelsea): Onuoha’s one and only goal on a season-long loan at Sunderland came against then league leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, as he drifted past three players and placed a low effort into the corner past Petr Cech.

David Luiz (Brazil v Colombia): When it comes to wonder goals, Luiz has his own personal showreel. This particular effort for the hosts, at the 2014 World Cup, was a long-range free-kick that arrowed in the top corner of the Colombia net and was followed by an iconic corner flag celebration.

Ronald Koeman (Barcelona v Sampdoria): Long before he was directing affairs in technical areas as a head coach, Koeman was renowned for scoring absolute belters from distance. And Barca’s first European Cup triumph in 1992 came courtesy of the Dutch defender’s right boot from 25 yards.

Philippe Mexes (AC Milan v Anderlecht): Former France defender Mexes scored his first goal for Milan with a spectacular bicycle kick from 18 yards out in a Champions League group match at Anderlecht during the 2012-13 season.

Philippe Albert (Newcastle v Manchester United): On a day to remember for Newcastle supporters during the 1996-97 campaign, Albert put the icing on the cake with a sublime chip in the hosts’ 5-0 win over the reigning English champions.

Daniel Agger (Liverpool v West Ham): Agger’s first Liverpool goal was a thing of beauty. With his side trailing1-0, the Dane collected a pass near the centre circle, took two touches and then dispatched his third into the top left corner, prompting a turnaround.

For Tottenham and Frank it was a much-needed victory after his side had been booed off the pitch at the end of their 1-0 home loss to Chelsea on Saturday.

That extended a run of only one point from three successive home Premier League matches, even though they had picked up five points from their opening three games in the Champions League.

Frank urged the fans to back the team and the supporters responded as they, along with a passionate following from the visitors, helped create a superb atmosphere.

The home mood was helped when Tottenham took a 19th-minute lead through Brennan Johnson, before Wilson Odobert added a second soon after the restart to put Spurs in control.

That threatened to change when Johnson was sent off, after Belgian official Erik Lambrechts had been sent to the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee to review the Welshman’s sliding challenge on to the ankle of Marcos Lopez.

But Van de Ven’s moment of magic quickly ended any hope of a fightback as Copenhagen, despite having a man advantage, crumbled with Joao Palhinha adding a fourth. There was almost a fifth but Richarlison hit the crossbar with a penalty in added time.

“We’re progressing forwards, but we are not where we want to be,” admitted Frank afterwards. “I saw a good performance, which I’m happy with. We talked about bounce-back mentality and there will be setbacks in football, it’s how you react after a bad spell. We controlled the game from minute one.”

For Van de Ven, it has been a mixed few days.

After the game against Chelsea, television footage showed him and team-mate Djed Spence appearing to snub Frank, when the Dane had gestured for them to go and acknowledge the home supporters.

Both players apologised after the incident, with Frank drawing a line under the matter in Monday’s news conference.

Virgil van Dijk called out Wayne Rooney’s “over the top” criticism of him live on air after Liverpool’s 1-0 win against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The Liverpool captain spoke to match broadcasters Amazon Prime after the match, taking questions from pundits, including Rooney.

Last month on the Wayne Rooney Show, the former Manchester United striker criticised the body language of Van Dijk and Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah after a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats.

Van Dijk responded by accusing Rooney of “lazy criticism”, before Rooney then doubled down on his comments.

On Tuesday they came face-to-face for the first time since the comments, resulting in slightly awkward encounter.

Van Dijk approached the Amazon Prime team pitchside and greeted all the pundits – including Rooney – before standing next to the former England striker.

The interview began with presenter Gabby Logan asking Van Dijk to review the win before Logan then addressed the poor run the Reds had been on, and how important a team meeting after the 2-1 loss to Manchester United on 19 October had been to improving form.

Van Dijk: “It is easy to say now because we won twice in a row that it helped pretty well but in a world of chaos you have to try and stay calm and take perspective of things. In that meeting the time was October, so much football to be played, so many twists and turns that can happen and I think at times the noise was a lot (said with a small smile on his face).”

Logan: “You looking at anybody round here in particular?”

Van Dijk: “No, no not all but listen I think it is very important to put things in perspective, keep your head down and work and get out the situation because the quality we have, that is not the issue. It is about keep working and keep going.”

Robbie Fowler: “Does the outside noise affect you or are you just happy plodding along, doing what you need to do and try and put people right?”

Van Dijk: “I think all of you know here you are dealing with a squad of 25 players, a lot of young players and a couple of older players like myself and everyone lives a different life. I can say for me personally it doesn’t affect me but as a captain I am dealing with players who may be affected about it.”

Logan: “Has some of the criticism been fair, do you think?”

Van Dijk: “Of course, if you lose four or five games in a row as a Liverpool player then it is a fair criticism, that is absolutely normal in that sense. But I think it is over the top at times as well at that point, but that is because we live in a world with so many platforms and so many people can say stuff, it will be picked up and made bigger. I think it is good that ex-players who played at the highest level who dealt with difficult moments as well puts a lot in perspective (said with a smile as Rooney laughs).”

Rooney: “I am not saying anything any more because I think I spurred them on and put them on a winning streak!

“I think what I’ve said was fair when you win the Premier League and then go on a run where you lose three or four games in a row, which you don’t expect from Liverpool over the last few years.

“As Virgil is captain I think that is your opportunity to go and lead the players and that is what I was saying. That happens in football and I think the response has been great from Virgil and the team.”

Van Dijk: “I think if you watched games then I would definitely take responsibility. I think the comment that I signed my new deal and then it was like ‘that is it’ and I let it slide, I think that was a bit… but that’s my personal opinion and we move on.”

After Liverpool won 1-0 against Real Madrid on Tuesday, Virgil van Dijk publicly criticized Wayne Rooney for his “over the top” comments.

After the game, the Liverpool captain addressed Amazon Prime, where he received questions from Rooney-related pundits, including the captain.

After a run of four Premier League defeats straight, the former Manchester United striker criticized Van Dijk and his fellow Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah’s body language on the Wayne Rooney Show last month.

Rooney responded by blatantly criticizing Van Dijk, before doubling down on his criticism.

They first met face-to-face on Tuesday after making comments, which caused a slightly awkward encounter.

Van Dijk greeted all the pundits, including Rooney, before standing next to the former England striker as he approached the Amazon Prime team pitchside.

Van Dijk addressed the Reds’ poor run, the team’s performance, and how crucial a team meeting was to improving after the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on October 19. Presenter Gabby Logan asked Van Dijk to review the win.

Van Dijk: “In a world of chaos, you have to try and stay calm and keep perspective,” Van Dijk said. “It is simple to say that because we won twice in a row that it helped pretty well. I believe there was a lot of noise at that meeting because it was October, there was a lot of football playing, and there were a lot of twists and turns (said with a small smile on his face).

Logan, are you really looking at anyone around here?

Van Dijk: “No, no not at all, but listen, I think it’s very important to put things in perspective, keep your head down, work, and get out of this situation because of the quality we have, that’s not the issue.” Keep working and keep moving, really.

Robbie Fowler: “Does the outside noise affect you, or are you just happy plodding along, doing what you need to, and trying to fix things”?

Van Dijk: “I think you all know that you are dealing with a squad of 25 players, including a number of young players and a few older players like myself, and everyone leads a different life.” I can honestly say that it doesn’t bother me, but that as a captain I’m dealing with players who might be affected by it.

Logan: “Has some of the criticism been fair, do you think so?”

Van Dijk: “Of course, it is a fair criticism if you lose four or five games in a row as a Liverpool player. That is absolutely normal.” However, I believe it is occasionally over the top, as well, because there are so many platforms where people can post content, and it will be expanded. I think it’s good that former players who played at the highest level and who handled challenging situations (said Rooney with a smile) put things in perspective.

Rooney: “I’m not saying anything more because I believe I spurred them on and made them win!”

You don’t expect anything from Liverpool over the past few years, which is fair when you win the Premier League and then go on a run where you lose three or four games in a row.

“I believe that is your opportunity to go and lead the players,” Virgil said. I believe Virgil and the team have responded well to that in football.

Van Dijk: “I believe I would take responsibility for what I watch.” I believe the statement that I signed my new contract was “that is it” and I let it go, I believe it was a little, but that’s my personal opinion, and we move on.”

Over the past nine months, Arsenal fans have grown used to seeing Mikel Merino celebrate after scoring while playing as a striker.

And the frontman-turned-midfielder scored twice in their 3-0 Champions League victory over Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

As the Swede prepares for further tests, the 29-year-old was putting in place of Viktor Gyokeres, whose muscle injury is “concerning” manager Mikel Arteta.

Merino’s ability to step up and deliver for the Gunners, who have now extended their winning streak to 10 in all competitions, is thankfully unafraid.

“It’s wonderful to have him,” Arteta remarked. He asserts that this is his leadership, mindset, and personality.

We need to find new ways to replace the attacking players because we are lacking. He scores two goals in the Champions League.

After suffering a hamstring injury to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus’ cruciate ligament injury (ACL) a month prior, Merino made his first appearance for the Gunners as a substitute frontman in the Premier League victory over Leicester.

Merino had never assumed that position before when he was a child.

He then won the previous campaign with nine goals in all competitions, winning at Chelsea, Fulham, and Real Madrid.

In order to bring in a natural number nine and win their first trophy since 2020, Arsenal signed Gyokeres in a deal worth £64 million in the summer.

With Havertz sidelined with a knee injury since the start of the season, the Swede has scored six goals in his 14 appearances.

Merino will need to play front and center to help Arsenal because of concerns Gyokeres might not be able to play for another while with a hamstring issue.

The Spaniard met a Leandro Trossard cross with a neat finish just after the break, before heading home Declan Rice’s delivery to seal the impressive success.

He has established himself as a member of the leadership group, making him one of Arteta’s favorites in the squad and well-liked in the dressing room.

The Gunners boss continued, “My opinion was always that he had really good timing and the ability to finish in the box, especially one touch.”

“And then talking to him about how to attack the spaces in relation to how they defend the box, which was a little different today, as well as the way they set up, and making sure that he plays closer to the box.”

In order to improve their squad depth and quality, the Gunners spent more than £250 million on eight new players over the summer.

That is already being challenged, particularly in attacks.

Havertz, Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, and Martin Odegaard are all currently out injured, with Arteta admitting that he needed to find a solution for the Premier League side’s problems while they are also in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

He said, “You have to invent options,” “yes.” If you invent them, you always have options.

Mikel hasn’t played there before in his career, but we had a good experience last year and how he handled it.

We firmly believe that today, given how they were set up, provided him with a good chance to perform.

Merino, who was a member of the Spain squad that won Euro 2024 and scored a late winner in extra-time against Germany in the quarter-final, continued, “This team doesn’t care who is injured or not. The internal combustion engine has the same mentality.