Xavi Simons suspended: Which games the Tottenham star will miss after sending-off vs Liverpool
Xavi Simons was sent off against Liverpool as Tottenham were defeated 2-1 on Saturday.
The Netherlands international was one of two Spurs players to receive their marching orders, with Cristian Romero also shown a red card late on.
Simons, who had been great for Tottenham in the build-up to the match, put Thomas Frank’s side in a precarious position after he hit Virgil van Dijk’s Achilles heel when going in for a challenge.
As a result, after a VAR check, Simons was sent off for Tottenham, a decision that ultimately helped to contribute to the hosts’ defeat.
Xavi Simons suspended for three matches at Tottenham
Due to the challenge being serious foul play, Simons is now set to be out for three matches.
This will no doubt be a blow for Frank, who is already feeling the pressure at Tottenham.
Now, he will be without Simons for three big matches, which could end up deciding the Dane’s long-term future at Spurs.
“He’s absolutely nowhere near that football!”
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 20, 2025
Xavi Simons is sent off for a reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk 🟥 pic.twitter.com/mt3B6SJR6z
The first game Simons will miss is an away day to Crystal Palace on 28 December.
Following this is another London derby, this time against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on 1 January.
Finally, Simons is set to miss out on the home clash against Sunderland on 4 January.
Therefore, the next game the Netherlands international could feature in is an away trip to Bournemouth on 7 January.
What did Thomas Frank say about Simons’ red card?
Simons’ red card against Liverpool no doubt changed the game.
From here, Tottenham struggled to regain a foothold until Richarlison’s late strike saw the momentum swing back in the hosts’ favour.
Looking back at the incident after the game, Frank was not convinced that it was a sending off, believing it was not a reckless challenge.
In part of his interview with BBC Match of the Day on 20 December, he said: “First and foremost I’m extremely proud of the players and the team.
“I think they gave everything and showed unbelievable mentality and worked very hard on how to deal with setbacks.
“The way they responded to several setbacks was immense. The first one is the first red, which I think… I’ve seen it given before but I don’t like it.
“I don’t like those types of red cards because I think the game is gone if that’s a red card.
“I don’t think it’s reckless tackle. I don’t think it’s exceptional force. We have the referee call and that was a yellow so that’s why I don’t think that’s a red.”