After a tough start, Xavi Simons is enjoying, far and away, his best run of form with a Tottenham shirt.
When the Dutchman marked his Spurs debut with an assist in a 3-0 win over West Ham, it felt like he was going to be Premier League-ready from the start.
However, his performances weren’t so linear. Thomas Frank deployed him on the left wing initially, but also tested him in more central areas and went back and forth between these roles. It was a valid attempt to try and see where Simons would fit best, but he struggled to find form.
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Now though, things have seemingly changed and he looks way more comfortable than before. He has two goals and one assist to his name in the last two games, as opposed to just two assists in the previous 18.
How has Xavi Simons played during his best run of form for Tottenham?
Energy, confidence and hard work
It might be just a two-game spell, but Xavi Simons looks ‘reborn’ at Tottenham. His movements look more fluid and he is playing with much more energy and confidence than before.
His first goal for Spurs actually came right after losing possession. But he battled to win it back and then performed a brilliant solo run against Brentford’s defence holding off Yehor Yarmoliuk who was harassing him the whole time.
This has actually been a constant in his last few matches. Simons hasn’t been shutting opponents down – in fact he has been dribbled past five times considering the Slavia Prague and Brentford games. But he’s shown more combativity than before.
| Stat | Last 2 games | Previous 18 games |
|---|---|---|
| Tackles + fouls + times dribbled past (per 90′) | 4.5 | 3.5 |
This work rate has probably pleased Thomas Frank. The Danish manager has played Simmons for the full 90 minutes in both of these last two matches. That had only happened once all season (vs Newcastle in the Carabao Cup).
So it seems like the No.7 has earned the boss’ trust. It had come to a point previously in which the the 22-year-old was subbed off against Chelsea despite coming on for injured Lucas Bergvall early on, back in November. This definitely doesn’t sound like something that would happen these days.
Running the show
Xavi Simons has had total freedom to roam lately. Thomas Frank hasn’t given him a set position and instead relies on him going near the ball, no matter where it is.
He also receives a lot of passes facing his own goal. Sometimes it leads to opponents easily regaining possession, but he has tremendous technical skill. His first-time flicks are great to help the team get out of the defensive half and progress as a unit.
Maybe his light weight (around 130 lbs/58 kg) was one of the reasons why Frank initially tested him out wide. It could have been a way to ‘protect’ him from the Premier League phisicality upon his arrival, trying to ease his adaptation. But Simons has excelled down the middle despite the large number of physical confrontation and bumps he receives along the way.
He has drawn 3.0 fouls per 90 minutes in the last two games. That’s a higher average than in the previous 18 for Spurs (2.5).
Still, it’s important to acknowledge that this adjustment in itself wasn’t necessarily the reason why his performances have been better. Simons has had freedom in the number 10 role before with a different outcome. But it seems to be the way to get the best out of him indeed.
Another important factor is how much his teammates are looking for him. Of Xavi Simons’ three highest tallies of touches in a game for Tottenham, two have been precisely these last ones.
He even led Spurs in this department last time out in the Champions League. Before that, only centre-backs and full-backs had led the team in touches in a single game in 2025-26.
It looks like Simons has turned the corner and is ready to show exactly why Daniel Levy payed over £50 million to snatch him from RB Leipzig.
His form could also do the same for Tottenham as a club, who will now look to win three in a row for the first time this season when they face Nottingham Forest away next Sunday.