A very interesting stat doing the rounds about Xavi Simons suggests that Thomas Frank made a big mistake leaving him out of his Tottenham starting eleven as often as he did.
The attacking midfielder appears to have finally turned a corner, with two back-to-back Man of the Match performances in the last two matches.
Xavi posted some impressive numbers against Brentford, scoring a goal and picking up an assist against the Bees, and he followed that up with another goal from the penalty spot against Slavia Prague.
Thomas Frank has lavished praise on Xavi for the work he has been putting in during training, and one stat suggests that the Lilywhites are a much better team when the Dutchman is starting.
Tottenham have not won a game where Xavi Simons has not started
Since the Netherlands international’s arrival in a £51m deal from RB Leipzig towards the end of the summer transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur have not won a single game that he has not started in.
The Sun’s Jake Sanders has revealed on social media that all eight of Spurs’ wins across all competitions have come when Xavi has started.
Thomas Frank left Xavi out of the team for four consecutive matches prior to the last two games, and one wonders if that Dane now regrets that decision.
Why this Xavi stat does not paint a true picture of his Spurs impact
While this stat makes the attacking midfielder look indispensable, one has to keep in mind that he has not started many of Tottenham’s tougher matches.
Xavi was on the bench for the clashes against Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and PSG, while starting against the likes of Brentford, Leeds, Slavia Prague and Copenhagen.
That certainly skews the stat, but there is no doubt that Tottenham have looked much more creative in the final third in the last two matches, and Xavi’s return to form has been a key reason for that.
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