Tottenham were denied an important three points on Saturday after they conceded a late equaliser against Brighton. Spurs thought they had won it when Xavi Simons scored in the 77th minute to put them 2-1 up, but a Kevin Danso mistake led to Georginio Rutter levelling five minutes into stoppage time.
It was a huge blow for Spurs, who could have, at least temporarily, climbed out of the relegation zone, with Nottingham Forest and West Ham not in action until Sunday and Monday respectively.
It also meant Robert De Zerbi is left without a win as Tottenham boss, but he did get his first point. Spurs are now one point from safety at time of writing, but they could be as many as four points away by the time this gameweek is over.
But if Spurs are to haul themselves to safety, they will need to take care of their own business, and attention will quickly turn to a must-win game against bottom club Wolves next time out. Winning that one is vital, with games against Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton to finish the season.
Robert De Zerbi sees the Xavi Simons light
Tottenham will need some big results, and to get them, they need some of their best players to turn up. Xavi Simons is one of those players, and De Zerbi was impressed with what the Dutchman offered during the Brighton draw.
He said after the game, as covered by football.london: "He played very well. A great game. I think he can play better and better, because a player like this, he needs to feel confidence from the manager. And I stay here to transfer all the confidence he needs.
"Because [when] I was a player, I was number 10, and I think I know what he thinks, because I thought the same when I was a player. I think I'm lucky to have this player on my team, but also he's lucky because with number 10, I can understand better than other coaches."
Simons has scored six and assisted seven so far this season, and if he can add to those tallies over the next few games, Spurs will certainly have a better chance of beating the drop, especially given the absence of of the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Mohammed Kudus, though James Maddison has now returned to fitness in a fresh boost.
Maddison picked up a serious knee injury towards the end of pre-season, and it's likely he will make his first appearance back in the next week or so.
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