Alasdair Gold was full of praise for Xavi Simons after the Dutch attacker came off the bench and helped Tottenham Hotspur take a point away at Brighton & Hove Albion in a 2-2 draw.
Spurs were 2-1 by the hour mark, when Thomas Frank decided to call upon Simons, and it proved to be the right call from the Dane. He made an immediate impact, giving the hosts all sorts of problems with his movement and quick feet.
Simons surprisingly started on the bench but perhaps has played his way into undisputed starter status with another impressive showing. The Lilywhites were the better side after his introduction and found an 82nd-minute equaliser through a Jan Paul van Hecke own goal.
Alasdair Gold: Xavi Simons Centrally Is Spurs' Way Forward
It looked likely to be another frustrating afternoon of Premier League action for Spurs when Brighton raced into a two-nil lead courtesy of goals from Yankuba Minteh (8') and Yasin Ayari (31'). But the visitors were given a lifeline just before the break when Richarlison found the back of the net (43').
Frank needed a creative spark, and Simons proved to be just that, flourishing on the ball and getting his side ticking. He has a fan in Gold who gave his thoughts on X: "Xavi Simons playing through the middle makes such a difference to Spurs' creativity. Needs to be the way forward."
Simons, whose performance received an 8/10 rating from Standard Sport, wasn't the only Spurs player to impress at the Amex; his fellow summer signing, Mohammed Kudus, also shone. If Frank can keep the duo fit and playing regularly together, it could make for a partnership akin to the one he developed between Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha at Brentford.