{"id":1431530,"date":"2026-02-06T12:36:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T12:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1431530"},"modified":"2026-02-06T12:36:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T12:36:38","slug":"tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-tottenham","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-tottenham\/","title":{"rendered":"Xavi Simons analysis: Tactical shift, injuries and the making of Spurs\u2019 new creator"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>\u201cLet it all work out.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/tottenham-hotspur\/\">Tottenham<\/a> posted the above after confirming the signing of Xavi Simons over the summer.<\/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-xavi-s-early-season-struggles\" data-level=\"3\">Xavi&#8217;s early-season struggles<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-injuries-paved-the-way-for-dutchman\" data-level=\"3\">Injuries paved the way for Dutchman<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-city-performance-xavi-s-best\" data-level=\"3\">City performance Xavi&#8217;s best<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-defensive-contribution\" data-level=\"3\">Defensive contribution<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>James Maddison\u2019s ACL injury in pre-season saw Spurs dip into the market for the Dutchman. Simons was expected to move to Chelsea. He had agreed personal terms with the Blues, after all. However, Chelsea dawdled over a fee with RB Leipzig for the creative star. Their hesitancy saw Spurs pounce for the Netherlands international.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fresh from the disappointment of missing out on Eberechi Eze, the England international snatched from under Spurs\u2019 nose by rivals Arsenal, the north London side got a deal for Simons over the line quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-xavi-s-early-season-struggles\">Xavi&#8217;s early-season struggles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>He wasn\u2019t supposed to be a priority for Spurs over the summer. Maddison\u2019s injury combined with Dejan Kulusevski\u2019s ongoing patella issue saw the club break the bank for Simons. An assist on his debut \u2013 a 3-0 win at West Ham \u2013 raised excitement levels. Thomas Frank did his best to temper expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ever the pragmatist, Simons was either shunted to the left or dropped from the starting XI entirely. Frank will tell you it was to protect the new signing. Others feel it was because the Dane wanted to pack the midfield to frustrate opponents. In the following weeks, however, regular starters started dropping like flies.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr \/>\r\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-soa-bs4-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sky Bet Offer<\/a>: Get \u00a340 in free bets when you place any bet<\/h2>\r\n<p>Looking for some free bets to boost your betting fund? Sky Bet are offering customers the chance to get \u00a340 in free bets when they sign up and place any qualifying bet.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1422496\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1024x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1024x290.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-300x85.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-768x218.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1536x435.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-400x113.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-600x170.png 600w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-212x60.png 212w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-150x43.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-40x11.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143.png 2036w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Sign up at Sky Bet<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0using this link<\/li>\r\n<li>Place a qualifying bet of at least 5p on a single or each way bet at odds of 1\/1 or greater, as your first bet<\/li>\r\n<li>Claim your \u00a340 free bet bonus<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h5 class=\"bookmaker-row exclusive\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-filter=\"  all-bookmakers free-bets in-play new-bookmaker world-cup-offers\">18+ NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE &amp; E\/W BET ONLY ODDS OF 1\/1 OR GREATER. 4 X \u00a310 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS EXPIRE AFTER 30 DAYS. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&amp;CS APPLY.<\/h5>\r\n<hr \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur both sustained long-term injuries. Pape Sarr jetted off to AFCON with Senegal. Lucas Bergvall has also struggled for fitness this season. Suddenly, Simons was thrust back into the side, and, crucially, in his favoured number 10 role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while he did look lightweight and a little overwhelmed by the Premier League, Simons now looks every bit the \u00a351m player they bought over the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-injuries-paved-the-way-for-dutchman\">Injuries paved the way for Dutchman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Injuries have hit Frank\u2019s side hard this season. Spurs were without 12 players due to various ailments in last weekend\u2019s 2-2 draw with Manchester City. The Dane had just 12 senior outfield players available. One of those was Cristian Romero, who was forced off at the break due to illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Argentine would make headlines for his Instagram outburst on Monday. \u201cDisgraceful\u201d was the word used to describe the state of the squad following the close of the transfer window. Spurs brought in Conor Gallagher and Souza from Atletico Madrid and Santos, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet in the midst of another injury crisis, Frank needed more, and captain Romero said as much on Monday. The Argentine may have been criticised by some quarters of the press. He\u2019s spitting truths as far as fans are concerned. That said, if there is one positive to come from this biblical-level plight, then it\u2019s Simons\u2019 deployment in the number 10 role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s been a long time coming, too. Spurs have lacked attacking thrust this season, that much is obvious. They\u2019ve attempted fewer through balls (15) than any other Premier League team. Of those 15, six have been via Simons, more than any other player under Frank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crucially, all six of have come from starts in the number 10 role, and five of those this calendar year. While only three have found its target, it\u2019s welcoming to see a player at least <em>try<\/em> to split a defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-city-performance-xavi-s-best\">City performance Xavi&#8217;s best<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What stands out, though, is that Simons is starting to kick on when it matters most. The creator-in-chief shone against Eintracht Frankfurt, a game Spurs needed to win to guarantee a top-eight finish in the Champions League. Putting in a performance against a Bundesliga side in dire straits is one thing. Simons, though, upped the ante in the recent stalemate with City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Few things in life are certain. Death, taxes, and Pep Guardiola\u2019s inability to beat Spurs. So, when City eased into a two-goal lead at a toxic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last Sunday, few expected a fightback. Captain Romero came off at the break as Frank moved from a three-man defence to a more tried-and-tested four-at-the-back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While an enforced system change, the move benefitted Simons. Indeed, he went on to provide the assist for Dominic Solanke\u2019s first of the afternoon, a fourth Premier League assist of the season from one of four chances created. The latter was a record for Simons in a Premier League match.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1431541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-214x267.jpg 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-160x200.jpg 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-48x60.jpg 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-120x150.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2-32x40.jpg 32w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122318\/player_-pitch-3-stats-2.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In addition, Simons completed five take ons and was fouled four times. City pinpointed the summer signing as Spurs\u2019 primary attacking outlet and sought to stop him by hook or by crook. If you can\u2019t beat \u2018em, hack \u2018em.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-defensive-contribution\">Defensive contribution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, Simons isn\u2019t proving to be a luxury attacking player by any stretch. Rather, he\u2019s carrying out the requisite defensive demands that serves to increase his importance in the capital. Not only has Simons made 68 ball recoveries, the sixth most for Spurs, he\u2019s also top for possession won in the attacking third (16). 25 tackles are just one off centre-back and compatriot Micky van de Ven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially, it seemed as though things wouldn\u2019t work out at all. Simons looked to struggle with the physical rigours of English football. Playing in a rigid, defence-first system didn\u2019t help either. However, his rise in importance and form has been the ray of sunshine in what\u2019s been a gloomy spell for Spurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Long may it continue in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/tottenham-team-news-vs-man-utd-predicted-xi\/\">Saturday\u2019s trip to Manchester United<\/a>.<\/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 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attacking solutions against stubborn Atlas Lions                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/connorholden\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Connor Holden                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">21 hours ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-chelsea-marco-palestra-new-signing\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                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class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Spain vs Belgium penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/spain-vs-belgium-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    Spain vs Belgium penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a 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quarter-final goes all the way?\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/france-vs-morocco-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    France vs Morocco penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/harry-edwards\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                        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class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    Every World Cup 2026 quarter-finalist ranked by reliance on their top goalscorer                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/harry-edwards\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Harry Edwards                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">2 days ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a 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width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/06\/01111019\/predictions_article-16x9-2026-07-01T111009.322-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/world-cup-2026-distance-travelled-08-07-26\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    World Cup 2026: Which nation will travel the furthest distance this summer?                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                  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size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/world-cup-2026-team-of-the-round-last-16\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    World Cup 2026 Team of the Last-16: Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland star after dramatic round                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/harry-edwards\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Harry Edwards                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">2 days ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cLet it all work out.\u201d Tottenham posted the above after confirming the signing of Xavi Simons over the summer. James Maddison\u2019s ACL injury in pre-season saw Spurs dip into the market for the Dutchman. Simons was expected to move to Chelsea. He had agreed personal terms with the Blues, after all. However, Chelsea dawdled over&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3564,"featured_media":1431536,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Xavi Simons is growing into Tottenham\u2019s key creator. A tactical analysis of his No.10 role, stats, and rise amid Spurs\u2019 injury crisis.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1431530","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Xavi Simons analysis: Tactical shift, injuries and the making of Spurs\u2019 new creator | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Xavi Simons is growing into Tottenham\u2019s key creator. A tactical analysis of his No.10 role, stats, and rise amid Spurs\u2019 injury crisis.\" \/>\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-tottenham\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Xavi Simons analysis: Tactical shift, injuries and the making of Spurs\u2019 new creator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Xavi Simons is growing into Tottenham\u2019s key creator. A tactical analysis of his No.10 role, stats, and rise amid Spurs\u2019 injury crisis.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-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=\"2026-02-06T12:36:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122044\/XaviSimons06022026_3DJXBKD-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1708\" \/>\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-tottenham\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-tottenham\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ben McAleer\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4\"},\"headline\":\"Xavi Simons analysis: Tactical shift, injuries and the making of Spurs\u2019 new creator\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-06T12:36:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-06T12:36:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-tottenham\/\"},\"wordCount\":929,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-tottenham\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122044\/XaviSimons06022026_3DJXBKD-scaled.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-tottenham\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-tottenham\/\",\"name\":\"Xavi Simons analysis: Tactical shift, injuries and the making of Spurs\u2019 new creator | Squawka | EN\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-tottenham\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-xavi-simons-tottenham\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/02\/06122044\/XaviSimons06022026_3DJXBKD-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-06T12:36:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-06T12:36:38+00:00\",\"description\":\"Xavi Simons is growing into Tottenham\u2019s key creator. 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