'The things will come 100%'—Xavi Simons enjoys brightest night in Tottenham colours

Despite what social media will lead you to believe, Xavi Simons' start to life at Tottenham Hotspur hasn't been egregiously poor.

Underwhelming, you could say, but to suggest there haven't been flashes from the Dutchman would be a flat out lie. Simons was bright on debut at West Ham, excellent off the bench at Brighton, and good at Elland Road before the October break.

He hasn't been aided by a rather primitive framework that had struggled to platform Spurs' No. 7, and Simons' early issues came to a head in the ugly 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. "Really poor throughout the game," Jamie Carragher said of the Dutchman, while former Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara went on a mini tirade bereft of critical thought. It's not even worth quoting him, but O'Hara's opinion was one that, unfortunately, represented a faction of the fanbase.

Thus, Tuesday's Champions League bout with Copenhagen wasn't solely significant for Spurs as a collective, but Simons, the individual. The rigours of the Premier League have so far proven tough to adjust to, but Simons is familiar with the bright lights of Europe's premier club competition. With tame opponents visiting N17, the Dutch playmaker had the chance to subdue those who have already written him off.

Xavi Simons produces best Tottenham performance yet in Copenhagen win

Simons entered Tuesday's bout with just a single goal contribution to his name—an assist for Pape Matar Sarr from a corner on his first Spurs appearance.

Within 20 minutes, the Dutchman doubled his tally when Brennan Johnson latched onto his delicately curled pass in behind before rounding a wild Dominik Kotarski surge and finishing from a tight angle. Unlike in previous outings, when Simons has received superbly on the half-turn but been unsure with the next action, he was decisive and pinpoint here.

His best work arrived in tight spaces, enjoying the connection with compatriots Wilson Odobert and Randal Kolo Muani. The latter was guilty of costing Simons two more assists, but the striker's associative play was key to Spurs' improvement as an attacking unit.

Facing a Copenhagen side that weren't keen on pressing high undoubtedly helped, and we saw plenty of the 3-2-4-1 possession shape that supplied promise against Everton and Newcastle. Simons was often stationed in the right half-space behind Copenhagen's midfield line, and a distinct mentality shift (as well as Cristian Romero's return) meant Spurs appeared more willing to pick out their chief creator.

As a result, Simons notched 49 touches in 61 minutes of action. At that rate, he would've recorded 72.2 if he completed 90 minutes, which is just shy of 14 more than his season average (per 90)—one which was elevated by Tuesday night's display. Touches matter for rhythm, but the zones where those touches take place are more significant.

With Simons enjoying the company of those in close proximity and having the freedom to receive on the half-turn, he created what Squawka define as three 'big' first-half chances, which is the most recorded by a Tottenham player in this competition since 2016/17.

Brennan Johnson's red card brought Simons' fun to an end, but the party in N17 only continued. Still, the Dutch international was named UEFA's Player of the Match for his hour of craft, and his post-match interview with TNT Sports depicted a player who's perhaps been taken aback by the scale of the acclimatisation, but carries an underlying assurance that he will come good.

"I know what I can bring to the team, the things will come 100%," he said. Tuesday night, as Thomas Frank commented, was a "step forward" for Simons.