Xavi Simons, despite interest from other parties, most notably Chelsea, in the summer months, elected to join Tottenham Hotspur from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig in a £51 million move. The Dutchman made his first appearance for the club in a 3-0 victory over West Ham United, but how did the 22-year-old do on the left of the front three?
After Cristian Romero’s perfectly legal header was controversially disallowed in the first half, Pape Matar Sarr rose to the highest point in the West Ham danger area and nodded past Mads Hermansen barely minutes after the restart. Lucas Bergvall, scored his first Premier League goal, then extended their lead with a beautifully handled header over the West Ham shot stopper.
Spurs struck again through Van de Ven. On Saturday evening, Spurs not only won three points against a fellow London club, but it also signified a change in leadership from Son Heung-min, who now plays for Los Angeles FC in the MLS, to Simons. But what are those affiliated with north London saying about his performance?
A Closer Look at Xavi Simons’ First Tottenham Hotspur Performance.
Simons, who has replaced Son in the No.7 shirt, has signed a five-year contract at the cutting-edge Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Of course, it’s a difficult mission, but did his first 71 minutes under Frank and his entourage, before being replaced by Richarlison, suggest that he’s up to the task?
Simons, who was born in Amsterdam, has typically been utilized as a backup striker throughout his career. Being his team’s creative genius is without a doubt his finest asset, and playing out wide on the left flank against West Ham stopped him from giving his best performance.
The 29-cap Netherlands international was involved from the start and received numerous touches (50!) before being substituted. Of those, zero were in West Ham’s box; but, his three passes into the final third indicated a sliver of offensive intent. Furthermore, 100% (4/4) of his long balls were accurate; he generated one opportunity and won all three fought ground duels.
Xavi Simons’ statistics in Spurs’ 3-0 win over West Ham
Minutes
71
Touches
50
Goals/Assists
0/1
Total Shots
1
Accurate passes (percentage
27/32 (84%)
Passes to the final third
3
Accurate Long Balls (%)
4/4 (100%)
Duels won: (%)
4/5 (80%)
Overall Rating
7.9
Djed Spence’s overlapping runs, as expected, allowed him to invert inside to where he performs best – in the space behind the striker, Mathys Tel. What can be stated about the youngster’s debut for Spurs is that he provided an assist. Despite coming from a corner, his delivery for Sarr’s header was flawless.
Simons is just 22, but he has already moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona, played for PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig, and competed in two big tournaments, so fans are thrilled about his debut at Spurs. On X (previously Twitter), one user wrote: “I can’t believe Xavi Simons plays for my football club!”
“His crosses were immense, very enjoyable to watch,” another Spurs supporter observed, adding that his chemistry with Spence, as previously indicated, was joyous: “Xavi and Djed on the left are so fun to watch.” In the same vein, another person stated, “The chemistry between him and Spence is great.”
Some are concerned about his linkup with Spence on the left wing. One fan hinted that he would come alive if/when shifted to the No.10 position: “Xavi Simons put in a really good shift, excited to see him play as the 10 though.” Another agreed, saying, “If Thomas Frank is going to play Xavi Simons as a wide playmaker, the signing is going to flop faster than you can say boo.”
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