Xavi Simons scored his first Premier League goal for Tottenham Hotspur since December in their 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
With the Dutchman last scoring in the top flight, Spurs sacked Thomas Frank, appointed Igor Tudor, sacked Tudor, appointed Roberto De Zerbi, and lost the game under De Zerbi.
The Lilywhites paid £52m to sign the attacking midfielder from RB Leipzig last summer to strengthen Frank’s side, but he scored just one Premier League goal for the Danish coach.
Xavi will know that his release this season was not enough for Spurs in the top flight, given the money spent on his services last summer.
However, the club’s managerial choices prior to De Zerbi’s arrival did not work for him, and he could now look to move on to North London.
How Roberto De Zerbi opened up for Spurs’ Xavi Simons
The management styles of Frank and Tudor did not suit a playmaker like Xavi because he needs to be fed between the lines and have a lot of movement around him.
Playing him as a sharp winner or playing him in midfield and watching long balls fly over his head for 90 minutes was not going to get the best of the Dutch talent.
De Zerbi came in, however, and he quickly looked to implement a possession-based system with Xavi coming in from the left to occupy central positions and combine with other attackers in the team, allowing his technical ability to shine.
The Dutchman scored a stunning long-range goal and set up Pedro Porro with a delightful pass in the 2-2 draw with Brighton, as Spurs benefited from getting him on the ball in central areas, which is a credit to De Zerbi and his coaching staff.
Spurs already have another Xavi Simons in the headlines
After realizing that the Italian head coach was quick to fire Xavi in North London, the former Brighton manager should introduce one of the talents of the club’s academy.
Luca Williams-Barnett has been in impressive form for the club at academy level and could help fire the first team to Premier League safety as Xavi 2.0 with five games left.
|
Williams-Barnett (25/26) |
U21 PL |
UEFA Youth League |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearance |
10 |
6 |
|
Minutes |
795 |
452 |
|
Goals |
6 |
7 |
|
Minutes per goal |
132 |
64 |
|
It helps |
5 |
2 |
The England U18 international has produced 13 goals and seven assists in 16 games for Spurs in the U21 Premier League and UEFA Youth League so far this season.
He made the bench in the first team six times in the Premier League, without appearing, which shows that he was being considered by the top coaches at Spurs.
De Zerbi must now drop the 17-year-old whiz in the final games of the season in the top flight because his form at youth level suggests he could be the spark the Lilywhites need to avoid relegation.
Williams-Barnett also scored 20 goals and provided 12 assists in 23 academy games in the 2024/25 campaign for Spurs at U18 and U21 level, showing that his exceptional form in front of goal this season is no flash in the pan.
The young England international has consistently shown that he can make an impact in youth games with regular goals and assists, and has taken that form to the England camp.
Williams-Barnett scored two goals and created three ‘big chances’ in four starts at England’s U17 World Cup last year, and has scored two goals in three games for England at U18 level.
Like Xavi, the young England international is an intelligent attacking midfielder who thrives with the ball at his feet in pockets of space, driving through the defense to score and create goals for his team.
That suggests that he will thrive again in De Zerbi’s Spurs games in the same way that Xavi did against Brighton, which is why Williams-Barnett should be given a chance in the first team in the coming weeks.
The young player’s ability to score goals and create goals could be valuable to Spurs if he can progress to senior football, as he can provide contributions that keep the team in the Premier League.
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