{"id":1400494,"date":"2025-09-22T13:48:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T12:48:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1400494"},"modified":"2025-09-23T10:28:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T09:28:45","slug":"tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/","title":{"rendered":"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Brighton and Hove Albion have proven a bit of a bogey team for Tottenham Hotspur in recent years. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Seagulls did the double over Spurs in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/premier-league\/\">Premier League<\/a> last season, coming from behind to beat the capital outfit at the Amex before tearing a half-cut north London side a new one on the final day of the 2024-25 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So as Fabian Hurzeler\u2019s side raced into a two-goal lead through Yankuba Minteh and Yasin Ayari, Tottenham must have been fearing the worst. Richarlison halved the deficit shortly before the break, but even so; Tottenham are a team that has routinely lacked the fortitude to dig in deep and claim a result when the odds are stacked against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article, we&#8217;ll cover:<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-it-s-time-to-move-simons-from-the-left\" data-level=\"3\">It&#8217;s time to move Simons from the left<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-stats-back-up-decision-to-use-in-the-no-10-role\" data-level=\"3\">Stats back up decision to use in the no.10 role<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-upcoming-fixtures-beneficial-for-tottenham-and-simons\" data-level=\"3\">Upcoming fixtures beneficial for Tottenham and Simons<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, this version of Tottenham is different. Thomas Frank has instilled the mental toughness for the squad to pick themselves back up when needs must. Saturday was no different. The AMEX isn\u2019t the easiest ground to visit, Brighton having already beaten Manchester City in front of their own fans this season, so to ultimately claim a result on the south coast is impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Frank named a much-changed XI for Saturday\u2019s 2-2 draw, with Wilson Odobert and Destiny Udogie coming into the side. An all-changed left flank presented some teething problems but Tottenham looked to stretch the play with the inclusion of the pair, Odobert favouring to cut inside from the flank and Udogie looking to overlap. It\u2019s a far cry from Frank\u2019s starting left side the previous two games, with summer signing Xavi Simons and Djed Spence both dropped to the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-it-s-time-to-move-simons-from-the-left\">It&#8217;s time to move Simons from the left<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The left side with Simons and Spence has looked a little square-peg-in-a-round-hole-esque given the pair\u2019s preference to use their respective right foot. It\u2019s also meant that supporters were yet to see Simons in his favoured central role prior to his second half introduction on Saturday. The Dutchman joined shortly before deadline day after the club missed out on Eberechi Eze to rivals Arsenal.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"article-page__title\">Dabble sign-up offer: <b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Bet \u00a310+ &amp; Receive \u00a310 In Free Bets<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Not signed up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/dabble-sign-up-offer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dabble<\/a> yet? Here's how to claim the <b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Bet \u00a310+ &amp; Receive \u00a310 In Free Bets<\/b> welcome offer:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li>Sign up to Dabble through this <a href=\"\/en\/go\/dabble?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\">link<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li>Register your account with accurate personal details<\/li>\r\n<li>Place your first bet of \u00a310 or more<\/li>\r\n<li>Receive your \u00a310 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted<\/li>\r\n<li>Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/dabble?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1423518 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-300x250.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-320x267.png 320w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-240x200.png 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-72x60.png 72w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-150x125.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-40x33.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822.png 712w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply.\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"http:\/\/gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http:\/\/GambleAware.org\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">GambleAware.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simons, though, drew plenty of plaudits for his impact in the number 10 role at Brighton. When asked on the former RB Leipzig man\u2019s cameo, Frank said: \u201cYeah, I\u2019m very, very pleased with that. I think Xavi came in and did exactly what we thought he could do in that 10 position. Of course, he had a good pre-season and he played two games in Germany and all that, but he\u2019s still coming into a team and all that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I think on any other day, he\u2019d score a goal. He got a great finish on the first one, great save from Verbruggen. And the other one, he mistimes. And I think maybe he could have got an assist to Richy, where Lucas takes the ball, he doesn\u2019t see him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-stats-back-up-decision-to-use-in-the-no-10-role\">Stats back up decision to use in the no.10 role<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Simons was unable to directly contribute to a Tottenham goal, Jan Paul van Hecke\u2019s own goal enough to ensure the spoils were shared on Saturday, the creator gave a real glimpse into his quality when used centrally. Indeed, only Richarlison (5) had more shots than Simons (3) of Tottenham players on Saturday, one of which forced a smart stop from Bart Verbruggen shortly after his introduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Netherlands international may have managed to create just one chance and complete one take on, yet he was finding space between the lines, and giving Spurs more presence in the final third. By starting a midfield trio of Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha and Lucas Bergvall, the latter tasked with carrying out the number 10 duties, there was gap between the Tottenham midfield and attack that meant the north London side created as many chances in the opening hour (5) as they did the final half hour after Simons came on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1400499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-2048x1280.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-320x200.jpg 320w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-96x60.jpg 96w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-150x94.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22132735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-40x25.jpg 40w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instinctively, Brighton sat a little deeper to try and counter the attacking threat, which allowed Tottenham up the ante as the clock ticked towards the 90. In the additional space with which to work, Simons managed to return a 100% final third pass completion rate as he completed all six attempted passes in Brighton&#8217;s defensive third, with Micky van de Ven the only other player to manage a 100% accuracy. For context, Brennan Johnson, who was introduced 10 minutes after Simons, managed just one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-upcoming-fixtures-beneficial-for-tottenham-and-simons\">Upcoming fixtures beneficial for Tottenham and Simons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fingers crossed for Tottenham fans it\u2019s a sign of things to come. Frank\u2019s side have a set of incredibly winnable fixtures looming, starting with the midweek Carabao Cup meeting with Doncaster before Saturday\u2019s welcome of winless Wolves, and against opponents that are likely to sit deeper; having a player like Simons to pry apart resolute low blocks is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison missing for the foreseeable future, Frank needs a creative spark pulling the strings behind the striker to benefit the wingers and the frontman, be it Richarlison, Dominic Solanke or new signing Randal Kolo Muani. The cameo against Brighton is certainly a sign of things to come.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football betting tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brighton and Hove Albion have proven a bit of a bogey team for Tottenham Hotspur in recent years. The Seagulls did the double over Spurs in the Premier League last season, coming from behind to beat the capital outfit at the Amex before tearing a half-cut north London side a new one on the final&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3564,"featured_media":1400511,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Xavi Simons made a major impact off the bench in Tottenham\u2019s 2-2 draw at Brighton. Playing in his natural No.10 role, the Dutchman transformed Spurs' attack and gave fans a glimpse of what's to come.","footnotes":""},"tags":[10096,27170,27528],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1400494","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-premier-league","tag-tottenham","tag-xavi-simons"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Xavi Simons made a major impact off the bench in Tottenham\u2019s 2-2 draw at Brighton. Playing in his natural No.10 role, the Dutchman transformed Spurs&#039; attack and gave fans a glimpse of what&#039;s to come.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Xavi Simons made a major impact off the bench in Tottenham\u2019s 2-2 draw at Brighton. Playing in his natural No.10 role, the Dutchman transformed Spurs&#039; attack and gave fans a glimpse of what&#039;s to come.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Squawka | EN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-23T09:28:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22134014\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@squawka\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ben McAleer\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4\"},\"headline\":\"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-22T12:48:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-23T09:28:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":893,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/22134014\\\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Premier League\",\"Tottenham\",\"Xavi Simons\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/\",\"name\":\"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role | Squawka | EN\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/22134014\\\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-22T12:48:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-23T09:28:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"Xavi Simons made a major impact off the bench in Tottenham\u2019s 2-2 draw at Brighton. Playing in his natural No.10 role, the Dutchman transformed Spurs' attack and gave fans a glimpse of what's to come.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/22134014\\\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/22134014\\\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Squawka\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Features\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Squawka | EN\",\"description\":\"Football News, Stats, and More...\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4\",\"name\":\"Ben McAleer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ben McAleer\"},\"description\":\"Ben has over 15 years\u2019 worth of experience in the world of football writing and has previously featured on The Guardian, The Independent, Sky Sports, The Irish Examiner, talksport, and more. Ben is, for his sins, a Tottenham fan with a soft spot for Barnet.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/benmcaleer1\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/benmcaleer\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role | Squawka | EN","description":"Xavi Simons made a major impact off the bench in Tottenham\u2019s 2-2 draw at Brighton. Playing in his natural No.10 role, the Dutchman transformed Spurs' attack and gave fans a glimpse of what's to come.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role","og_description":"Xavi Simons made a major impact off the bench in Tottenham\u2019s 2-2 draw at Brighton. Playing in his natural No.10 role, the Dutchman transformed Spurs' attack and gave fans a glimpse of what's to come.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/","og_site_name":"Squawka | EN","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/","article_modified_time":"2025-09-23T09:28:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22134014\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@squawka","twitter_misc":{"Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/"},"author":{"name":"Ben McAleer","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4"},"headline":"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role","datePublished":"2025-09-22T12:48:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-23T09:28:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/"},"wordCount":893,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22134014\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Premier League","Tottenham","Xavi Simons"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","accessibilityFeature":["tableOfContents"]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/","url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/","name":"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role | Squawka | EN","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22134014\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-09-22T12:48:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-23T09:28:45+00:00","description":"Xavi Simons made a major impact off the bench in Tottenham\u2019s 2-2 draw at Brighton. Playing in his natural No.10 role, the Dutchman transformed Spurs' attack and gave fans a glimpse of what's to come.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22134014\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/22134014\/3CNEBE5-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-brighton-vs-tottenham\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Squawka","item":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Features","item":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Tottenham analysis: Xavi Simons shows why he\u2019s built for the no.10 role"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/","name":"Squawka | EN","description":"Football News, Stats, and More...","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4","name":"Ben McAleer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ben McAleer"},"description":"Ben has over 15 years\u2019 worth of experience in the world of football writing and has previously featured on The Guardian, The Independent, Sky Sports, The Irish Examiner, talksport, and more. Ben is, for his sins, a Tottenham fan with a soft spot for Barnet.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/benmcaleer1"],"url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/benmcaleer\/"}]}},"yoast_title":"","yoast_description":"Xavi Simons made a major impact off the bench in Tottenham\u2019s 2-2 draw at Brighton. Playing in his natural No.10 role, the Dutchman transformed Spurs' attack and gave fans a glimpse of what's to come.","yoast_keyword":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1400494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/features"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3564"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1400494\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1400511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1400494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1400494"},{"taxonomy":"features-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features-category?post=1400494"},{"taxonomy":"squawka-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/squawka-category?post=1400494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}