Xavi Simons stat proves why Thomas Frank must start him every week as Tottenham 10

7 hours ago 27

A crazy statistic has highlighted why Tottenham star Xavi Simons must be a guaranteed starter for Thomas Frank, as his latest performance once again showed just how much creativity he brings to Spurs’ attack.

It was another winning start in a fresh competition for Thomas Frank, who has already managed to guide his side to strong openings in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup this season.

A comfortable 3-0 win against League One side Doncaster Rovers was enough for Tottenham to book their place in round four of the competition, and it came without much struggle.

It was also a complete all-round display from Spurs, who have now managed to keep clean sheets across the Premier League, the League Cup and the Champions League.

Xavi Simons shines for Tottenham in Carabao Cup tie

Tottenham were equally impressive going forward and showed attacking intent for most of the cup tie against Doncaster Rovers, with much of that down to the influence of one new signing.

Statistics from FotMob revealed that new arrival Xavi Simons created more chances than any other player on the pitch during the tie against Doncaster.

The Dutch midfielder carved out seven opportunities in just 60 minutes before being substituted, and if those numbers were applied to the Premier League this season, he would rank third for Spurs in chance creation from a single match.

Spurs need Simons’ creativity in James Maddison’s absence

Tottenham have often looked short of ideas in the final third, especially with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski sidelined through injury, which has left Spurs struggling to break down opponents at times.

Those creative issues have already been on display this season in the league fixtures against Bournemouth and Brighton, two games where Spurs dropped points after failing to produce enough cutting edge in attack.

Simons was rested from the start against Brighton, but when he came on, he looked sharp, lively, and immediately provided a creative spark that Tottenham had been missing.

The Dutchman has needed time to settle into life in England, but with each passing game, he looks more assured, and Frank will need him at his creative best in the coming weeks.