Jan Paul van Hecke moved the ball through Crystal Palace all afternoon on Saturday, and by the final whistle he had taken a club record Cristian Romero had held for three years.

Van Hecke completed 143 passes in Tottenham’s 2-0 win, two more than the 141 Romero managed against the same opponent in October 2023. The Dutchman also scored Tottenham’s second and was named player of the match.

A team record of 759 falls too

The individual mark was not the only line in the book that moved on 31 October. Tottenham completed 759 passes as a team, breaking the club’s previous Premier League high of 747 at Cardiff on 1 January 2019. The side finished the match with 93.12 per cent passing accuracy, their highest in the top flight.

Micky van de Ven also set a personal mark with 123 completions, a sign of how far Tottenham’s share of the ball tilted against a Crystal Palace side reduced to ten men by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s red card.

Read also: Kane one goal from beating Cristiano Ronaldo

Signed for £52m to build from the back

Van Hecke was signed from Brighton on 19 June 2026 for £52m, reuniting him with Roberto De Zerbi after their two seasons together on the south coast. The move came in the final year of his Brighton contract and after Tottenham had two earlier bids turned down.

He has started every Premier League match since arriving. Against Palace he recorded 160 touches to go with the 143 passes.

Van Hecke scored, too

The goal came in the second half, when he reacted first to a rebound after his own header had been tipped onto the crossbar.

“Van Hecke is a tough character, tough personality. I’m very happy for him,” De Zerbi told reporters afterwards.

Read also: Jon Rahm reveals staggering price he’d pay for PGA Tour return

The win was Tottenham’s third in a row, their first run of three straight league victories in more than a year. The next league fixture follows the international break.

Read also: Scott Parker edges closer to returning to West Ham