Jan Paul van Hecke’s underlying numbers against Crystal Palace suggest he might be the creative weapon Tottenham need to unlock low blocks.

Tottenham Hotspur look like they are finally reaping the rewards of their close to £400 million summer investment following their recent upturn in form in the Premier League.

Despite going winless in their first six games, the Lilywhites appear to have turned a corner after winning three consecutive matches, including victories over Coventry City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

At the heart of those three straight wins have been several of the club’s summer additions, including Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson.

Van Hecke stands out, though, as he has played every single minute for Tottenham this season, the most of any outfield player.

So far this campaign, the Dutchman has gone from strength to strength and may well have delivered his best performance yet in a Tottenham shirt during Spurs’ recent outing against Crystal Palace.

Jan Paul van Hecke shines in Tottenham win over Crystal Palace

Once again, Van Hecke played the full 90 minutes and even found the net, scoring his second Premier League goal of the season, a strike that makes him Tottenham’s leading goalscorer.

But aside from the goal, the Dutchman still stood out with his all-round display, as the underlying numbers highlight just how much of an impact he had both in and out of possession for Spurs.

According to FotMob, Van Hecke managed:

According to Squawka, the centre-back recorded:

Van Hecke a creative weapon from deep for Spurs

This is arguably one of the centre-back’s best performances in a Tottenham shirt, and it highlighted his quality in possession superbly. For much of the clash against Palace, Van Hecke found himself stepping into midfield areas as Tottenham pinned the Eagles deep inside their own half.

From those positions, the Dutchman was outstanding on the ball, recording an impressive 95% pass accuracy. Those passes were not merely sideways either, with many of them progressive in nature. That was reflected in the centre-back creating three chances, the second-highest tally in the game.

Against 10 men, or in any match where Tottenham are expected to dominate possession, Van Hecke has proven he can be a genuine creative weapon from deep.