Xavi Simons thought he’d score winner vs Brighton, but £51m star may have just relegated Tottenham
Xavi Simons thought he had finally broken Tottenham Hotspur‘s 15-game streak without a Premier League win when firing past Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen.
Lucas Bergvall perfectly dispossessed Jan Paul van Hecke just outside the Seagulls’ penalty area, allowing the Dutchman to stride towards the box and unleash an unstoppable strike in the 77th minute.
All three points would have moved Spurs out of the relegation, even leapfrogging West Ham and Nottingham Forest into 16th, only for Georginio Rutter to ruin any chance of that happening on Saturday, 18 April.
Tottenham remain in the Premier League dropzone, with West Ham still to play Crystal Palace in matchweek 33, and there appears to be one player that the Lilywhites can blame for that.
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Xavi Simons becomes a passenger as Tottenham concede late on
Although the Lilywhites had just 13 minutes of normal time to hold on in, there was almost an expectation that the home side were going to concede a late equaliser.
Murmurs filled the stadium when the fourth official displayed a minimum of eight minutes of added time, and they had every right to be wary, with one slip of focus from Kevin Danso enough to ruin the afternoon.
While there were a few minor stoppages throughout the second half, the majority of those added minutes came from Simons requiring treatment for cramp on the pitch.
The Dutch international was totally ineffective for the remaining minutes in North London, strolling around the pitch in pain, and Roberto De Zerbi had already used all of his substitutions.
Simons has completed 90 minutes multiple times this season, but even so, maybe it was an oversight by the manager. Either way, the player’s struggles can be pinpointed as the key reason for Spurs’ downfall.
Brighton’s equaliser could be the final nail in Tottenham’s coffin
Danso will, understandably, be used as the scapegoat for the Lilywhites’ disappointing draw, but even in the build-up to Rutter’s equaliser, Simons’ lack of effort to get back into the box is evident.
Even Les Ferdinand was critical of the £51million star [The Athletic], who became a passenger after needing to be treated by the medical staff. It seems harsh, but it’s true.
Spurs are in a relegation battle, and every second on the pitch counts. Premier League relegation could financially ruin Tottenham, especially given the wages that stars are on and the club’s infrastructure.
Three points would have provided an incredible boost for De Zerbi. But it now feels like two points dropped, rather than one point gained in the dropzone.
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