Tottenham Hotspur star attacking midfielder Xavi Simons looked anything like a star against Arsenal in the North London Derby, which only made Eberechi Eze's latest goal-fest against Spurs look even worse.
Although Spurs should not feel bad about missing out on Eze to Arsenal in the summer transfer window after they were able to sign the younger Simons for cheaper, the belief Spurs supporters have that Simons is the superior player was not reflected in the performances on Sunday afternoon.
Whereas Eze scored two goals and tormented the Tottenham defense, dribbilng right through the heart of the team, it was no exaggeration to state that Simons was the worst player on the pitch in Igor Tudor's first game as manager.
Xavi Simons lost the ball frequently vs. Arsenal
Simons had been snubbed in the first 4-1 North London Derby defeat by Thomas Frank, but for any Tottenham fans wondering if he would be the difference the second time around, he was deeply disappointing.
The main criticism of Simons that he does not step up when the games get more physical and tightly contested in the Premier League were validated on Sunday. Simons looked scared and created nothing, winning no dribbles or fouls while losing the ball a whopping 12 times. It was one of the worst individual performances by a Premier League No. 10 this season in a massive game for Spurs.
What made it worse, too, was how lethargic Simons was defensively. Granted, it was Tudor's first game in the dugout and Simons was not the only player who struggled in the defensive system, but he clearly left the likes of Djed Spence and Pape Matar Sarr hung out to dry by losing his men and not tracking back frequently enough.
Arsenal and Eze showed both the quality and desire in the big game that Simons did not, and in his first ever North London Derby and first ever game under Igor Tudor, Xavi Simons failed to show up. That's a huge missed opportunity, and the fact that Eberechi Eze had his way with the Tottenham midfield on the other side of the equation only made things worse.
Tottenham Hotspur have another big game on the horizon that Simons missed the early fixture of against Fulham, and so Simons will have to bounce back with more authority, creativity, and fight than he showed on Sunday when he could not force the issue against one of the Premier League's best defensive sides.