Xavi Simons did what every Tottenham player can’t do vs Arsenal
Tottenham were unable to reclaim North London bragging rights against Arsenal on Sunday.
It was yet another day Tottenham fans will want to forget against Arsenal, as Spurs were defeated 4-1 by Mikel Arteta’s men.
That now means the aggregate score over their two Premier League clashes this season reads Arsenal 8-2 Tottenham, after the Gunners ran out 4-1 winners in the reverse fixture back in November 2025 too.
Igor Tudor‘s reign as interim Spurs head coach couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, as a second half capitulation saw Arsenal score three, with Eberechi Eze Tottenham’s nemesis once again.
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Xavi Simons was bullied against Arsenal
When Tottenham fans needed their players to stand up and be counted, many faded into the background in what was another weak performance, which is becoming an unwanted trademark of this Spurs team.
Randal Kolo Muani’s equaliser just seconds after Eze had given Arsenal the lead should’ve galvanised the Lilywhites, but it didn’t, and the Gunners reasserted control in the second half with ease.
One player who was particularly poor, and undoubtedly had his worst performance in a Tottenham shirt, was Xavi Simons.
The 22-year-old has blown hot and cold during his debut season in N17 so far, but on Sunday, he was most certainly the latter, as he did what no Spurs player should ever do against Arsenal: get bullied.
As per Sofascore, Simons lost 13 of his 14 ground duels against the Gunners, whilst also failing to make or win a single tackle and surrendered possession a total of 25 times.
If the Dutchman is to succeed and reach his obvious potential in English football, he’s going to have make sure he improves the physical aspect of his game, as otherwise, he will continue to get bullied out of big games.
Simons has two more London derbies to prove his mettle
Thankfully for Simons, he and Tottenham have got back-to-back London derbies coming up over the next two games to show their bite.
A trip to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham awaits on Sunday, before Tudor will welcome Crystal Palace side shrouded in Oliver Glasner controversy and uncertainty to N17 on 5 March.
It goes without saying that neither of those two fixtures are played with the same blood and thunder as the North London derby, but they are London derbies none the less that mean a lot to supporters.
Therefore, this is the perfect chance for Simons to show he can meet the physical demands of playing in England, as he and his Spurs comrades should be fired up after that Arsenal humiliation.
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