After the debacle two weeks ago against a highly underrated Bournemouth side, Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways on Matchday 4 of the Premier League, tearing apart rivals West Ham United 3-0 in a derby that simply wasn't a contest from the moment the match started.
This result was more like what Thomas Frank has produced through the first two matchdays for Tottenham with a 3-0 win over Burnley and a 2-0 win over Manchester City. Obviously, there will be a much more sterner tests for Spurs this season in their bid to return to the top five, but credit is fully due to the team for taking full advantage and making Mohammed Kudus's homecoming a successful one.
In addition to Kudus's personal storyline, there was a big one for Xavi Simons as well, as the debuting Tottenham transfer shined and recorded a goal contribution in a positive all-around performance despite playing in a less ideal position on the left wing.
Simons didn't play the full 90 minutes as he is still tuning up after a period of inactivity at the club level with RB Leipzig, but he showed more than enough to impress both Frank and the Tottenham faithful.
Thomas Frank liked what he saw
Frank said of Simons's performance, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, "I think he was promising. I liked what I saw from him. I liked that he took initiative on the ball. Every single time he had the ball he tried to create something. And I think he had a wonderful assist for the first goal from a corner. Worked hard as well. I think it was a good first game."
The assist from Simons for breakout midfielder Pape Matar Sarr came from a corner and opened the scoring. Simons then finished the matchup with a tackle, key pass, dribble completed, and foul drawn in an excellent and well-rounded debut performance.
Frank's praise that he took initiative is the best takeaway from this matchup, because, soon, Frank is going to give Simons the keys to the kingdom. Tottenham didn't spend 70 million euros on Simons for no reason, and they see him as a centerpiece player in the squad and the new face of the franchise alongside the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Lucas Bergvall, and fellow new signing Mohammed Kudus.
Simons had a successful debut, especially since Tottenham posted a dominant win. There will be plenty more goals and assists on the way for the 22-year-old Dutch sensation.