Xavi Simons started on the bench in Tottenham’s narrow defeat to Sunderland.
Tottenham Hotspur’s winless run in 2026 in the Premier League continued with a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Sunday. It wasn’t the start Roberto De Zerbi was hoping to make after agreeing to become Spurs’ new head coach during the March international break.
With West Ham winning against Wolves on Friday, all the pressure was on Tottenham to go to the Stadium of Light and get a positive result. However, they fell short again in the Premier League. Roberto De Zerbi had 10 days to prepare for the trip to Sunderland, and while there were some encouraging signs during the game, fans were baffled to not see Xavi Simons on the pitch until the 85th minute with Spurs trailing 1-0.
Xavi Simons, who arrived on a £51m transfer, was left on the bench in De Zerbi’s first game in charge. The Italian tactician opted for a midfield three of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Conor Gallagher. None of them managed to exert control in the game, yet Simons was introduced with just five minutes of normal time remaining on the clock. De Zerbi later explained his decision to sub on the Dutchman so late in the game.
Roberto De Zerbi urged to start Xavi Simons vs. Brighton
Tottenham’s problems in the final third lay bare once again as they failed to unlock the Sunderland rearguard. The visitors lacked the killer pass on several occasions, and those moves died down. The game was crying out for Simons to come into the fray early, but a couple of factors led to his delayed substitution.
Now, reputable Football London journalist Alasdair Gold has expressed his bewilderment over the Netherlands international’s limited involvement at Spurs and urged De Zerbi to start him against Brighton at home.
“I just feel like, in that scenario, that’s like a 4-2-3-1, that can become a 4-3-3, it’s crying out for a really creative player that can kind of play little clever through balls. It’s Xavi Simons. Of course, it’s Xavi Simons,” Alasdair Gold said on his YouTube channel.
“It just seems so obvious, but for some reason, like Frank, like Tudor, De Zerbi clearly must have just watched training over the past week and decided ‘No, not for me.’
“Despite the fact that, on Friday, he was calling him a big talent at his pre-match press conference, I just can’t get my head around it.
“Spurs need to score goals. Xavi is their only fit playmaker that can create chances. He has created more chances than anyone else at the club this season. And if you’ve got Madison and Kulusevski out, he is your go-to man, not someone you bring on in the 85th minute of a match. He has to be on there.”
Xavi Simons has a big role to play
Simons has not managed to justify his talent at Tottenham so far. He has not had the rhythm and consistency of games here, hampering his confidence levels in the process. The Dutchman was one of the best playmakers in the Bundesliga during his RB Leipzig days, but he has been a pale shadow of himself in the Premier League.
With Mohammed Kudus ruled out for the rest of the season, as well as James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski facing a race against time to get back and play some part this term, Simons remains the only genuine creative player in the side. Despite his underwhelming displays, Simons has a big role to play to keep the club afloat in the top flight.
Without any second thoughts, our gaffer must hand the 22-year-old a start against Brighton on Saturday.