Ange Postecoglou once famously said that every time he saw a light, it was a train coming to Tottenham Hotspur. And that train has now turned into a trip to the Championship, with stops against Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton.
Despite their win over Wolverhampton Wanderers – their first of 2026 – the Lilywhites were handed the devastating news of Xavi Simons' ACL injury.
It is not the first time the Spurs star has suffered a long-term injury in the past 12 months and serious questions are being asked of the team's medical team about how they failed to diagnose Simons' fate quickly enough.
Meanwhile, there are also several questions left on the pitch now that Roberto De Zerbi has the job of replacing the big-money striker.
Why Simons will be sorely missed by the Spurs
On paper, Simons is a bargain who has been involved in seven Premier League goals all season. But not every story can be told on paper.
The truth is that De Zerbi and Simons are a perfect fit and the Italian's arrival has given the striker his best chance to find his best form since arriving in North London.
His true quality was evident in De Zerbi's first game. The Dutchman took control of the game, assisting Pedro Porro to score the opener, before unleashing what was believed to be the winner, before Brighton wasted the team in classic Spurs fashion.
He then went on to tell reporters that “it's a new coach, new rules, different thinking”. If anyone was ready to hit the ground running under De Zerbi, it was Simons.
Now Spurs have a big problem without him. However, one of their goals has fallen. With Dominic Solanke once again preparing for another sideline, where the goals come from is anyone's guess at this stage.
In fact, apart from those two against Wolves, the entire Spurs first team would have contributed to just seven goals between them in the Premier League this season. One must stand up.
How could the Spurs replace Simons?
Without Simons on that side, the Spurs lack a vital link between the court and the frontcourt.
They lack someone who is very efficient in the half turn and wide areas. What they have instead is a field full of solid players and that will take them far, especially without Solanke at the helm.
Releasing Bergvall in a more advanced role would solve De Zerbi's Simons problem in an instant. The Swede has been forced to be pragmatic more often than not, but he could be the new Luka Modric for Spurs if his new boss allows him some creative freedom.
|
PL P90 figures |
Simmons 25/26 |
Bergvall 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
1,757 |
1,206 |
|
Opportunities are created |
1.74 |
0.82 |
|
Dribble success |
42.4% |
51.2% |
|
Goals |
0.1 |
0 |
|
It helps |
0.26 |
0.07 |
The last time Bergvall played in a system without the limits of pragmatism was under Postecoglou last season. It was then that he enjoyed great success and created almost one chance per game.
While not enough to match Simons' chance-creating numbers, the 20-year-old remains Tottenham's best hope of replicating the quality of the Dutchman, who is said to have “the first touch of Modric” by The Athletic's JJ Bull.
It's that dynamic that stands out, too. Bergvall, like Modric many months ago, can play anywhere in midfield. He should be one of the first names in De Zerbi's squad for Spurs to be successful in and out of the game.
Bergvall will be the first to admit that it has not been an easy season. He disagreed with Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor, however, and neither did most of his fellow actors. Under De Zerbi, things could be different.
Spurs have a “Kane regen” that could end Solanke's Tottenham career forever
Tottenham's shameless strikers are not beguiling belief in fighting relegation.
