30 minutes of Xavi Simons in just one minute

Originally posted on the Boy Hotspur | By The Boy | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 4:33 AM ET

Thomas Frank was pretty pragmatic after the game, and described Brighton away as our most complete performance of the season:

“I know we conceded two goals, and it’s never that black and white. So one where we will say I should take it. The second one is, OK, we conceded a goal, that can happen, I think in phase one, we got out every time, more or less. We controlled it up there.

We created so many good opportunities, and had to counter-press and rest defending crosses. So there was a lot of the bits we like to do, because of that. And then on top of that, the mentality to come back from 2-0 down is so important.”

In truth, one player, Xavi Simons, dragged us to that equaliser himself. That’s the level of player we’ve been dying for, a game changer, who says to hell with it, I’ll do it, and becomes the creative spark, ball carrying, and a ‘can-do’ mentality.

His playing through the middle made such a difference to Spurs’ creativity. This needs to be the way forward – not an option on the bench. Our squad isn’t strong enough for that yet.

Xavi Simons made a significant impact in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Brighton yesterday. Coming off the bench in the 61st minute, he played 29+ minutes, recording 3 shots (1 on target), an expected goals (xG) of 0.25, and an expected assists (xA) of 0.07. Simons had 28 touches, including 3 in the box, and was instrumental in sparking Tottenham’s second-half comeback. His key contribution was a pass to Mohammed Kudus, whose cross led to an own goal by Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke for the equaliser.

Simons also showed flair with a successful dribble past multiple defenders and a shot saved by Bart Verbruggen, earning praise for his creative spark and ability to unlock Brighton’s defence.

This article first appeared on the Boy Hotspur and was syndicated with permission.

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