Thomas Frank hits turning point he’s been waiting for thanks to stellar Tottenham star
Thomas Frank should be believing that the best is still to come from Xavi Simons after he netted his first goal for Tottenham.
Tottenham beat Brentford 2-0 on 6 December as they finally ended their abhorrent home run in the Premier League.
Richarlison opened the scoring in the 25th minute, but the loudest cheer of the day came in the 43rd minute when Simons finally scored his first goal for Spurs.
Simons showed flashes of his brilliance against Copenhagen on 4 November in the Champions League, but his display against the Bees will be a huge boost of confidence to the previously struggling attacker.
Simons’ Brentford show signals crucial moment in Tottenham career after underwhelming start
Simons joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig last summer in what was a big money move for the north London outfit.
The Dutchman arrived as the club’s marquee signing of the transfer window with huge potential and high expectations to hit.
Yet, in his first 19 appearances for the Lilywhites, the ex-PSG starlet could only amass two assists in all competitions.
In stark contrast, his explosive display against the Bees captured the real Simons that Tottenham signed as he dazzled in the number 10 position.
His touch map, courtesy of Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, highlighted how much more he was getting on the ball as he racked up 60 touches across all areas of the pitch.
What was truly eye-catching was the manner of his first goal for Spurs as he made up for a poor first touch by winning the ball back, before sprinting from the halfway line to the 18-yard box, tucking the ball home.
Previously, The Netherlands international had perhaps been susceptible to overthinking his game, but in that moment Tottenham supporters saw his raw attacking instinct on full display.
Frank continues to learn his best team as he finally finds Simons’ perfect position
Earlier in the season, the ex-Brentford boss tinkered frequently with his starting XI, partially due to the amount of fixtures and also down to finding out his favoured side.
When Simons arrived in north London, the Dane opted to play him off the left-hand side in a role which ultimately limited his attacking influence.
Now consistently playing the number seven as a central attacking midfielder, the Lilywhites are seeing the best of the ex-PSV man.
The dazzling goal and assist against the Bees could be the pivotal turning point in the 22-year-old’s Spurs career, as he looks to kick on for the remainder of his debut campaign.