Overview

• Tottenham lost 2-1 at home to Aston Villa, with Xavi Simons struggling to influence the game before being substituted in the 79th minute for Lucas Bergvall.
• Supporters criticized Simons’ reluctance to shoot, highlighting two moments in good positions where he chose a pass instead and calling on social media for him to be dropped.
• Thomas Frank defended the 22-year-old’s display as “average-plus,” praising his personality and pressing and stressing the challenge of settling at a new club and in a new country.
• Simons has eight appearances for Spurs this season with zero goals and one assist, following a summer move from RB Leipzig reported at around £51 million.
• The underwhelming outing has fueled debate over the number ten role and wider midfield balance, with mentions of alternatives such as Lucas Bergvall or Pape Matar Sarr and scrutiny of the Bentancur–Palhinha pairing.