Ange Postecoglou once famously said that every time he sees the light, it’s just an oncoming train at Tottenham Hotspur. And that train has now turned into a journey to the Championship, featuring stops against Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton.
Even in victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers – their first of 2026 – the Lilywhites were handed the devastating news of Xavi Simons’ ACL injury.
It’s not the first time that a Spurs star has suffered a long-term injury in the last 12 months and serious questions have been asked of the club’s medical team for how they failed to diagnose Simons’ fate quickly enough.
Meanwhile, there are also several questions that remain on the pitch now that Roberto De Zerbi has the task of replacing the big-money attacker.
Why Simons will be such a big miss for Spurs
On paper, Simons is a big-money flop who has been involved in just seven Premier League goals all season. But the entire story cannot be told on paper.
The reality is that De Zerbi and Simons are the perfect match and the Italian’s arrival provided the attacker with his best chance to find his best form since arriving in North London.
His true quality was on show in De Zerbi’s first game. The Dutchman took control of the match, assisting Pedro Porro’s opening goal, before unleashing a stunning strike that he believed was the winner, before Brighton spoiled the party in classic Spurs fashion.
He then went on to tell reporters that it’s a “new coach, new rules, different mentality”. If anyone was ready to hit the heights under De Zerbi, it was Simons.
Spurs now have a major issue in his absence. Yet another one of their goalscoring outlets has fallen. With Dominic Solanke also set for another spell on the sidelines, where the goals come from is anyone’s guess at this stage.
In fact, without that duo against Wolves, Spurs’ entire starting line-up would have contributed to just seven goals between them in the Premier League this season. Someone has to step up.
How Spurs could replace Simons
Without Simons in that side, Spurs lack a crucial connector between midfield and the frontline.
They’re missing someone who operates excellently on the half turn and in wide areas. What they have instead is a midfield full of rigid workhorses and that will only take them so far, especially without Solanke leading the line.
Unleashing Bergvall in a more advanced role will solve De Zerbi’s Simons problem in an instant. The Swede has been forced to be pragmatic far too often, but can become Spurs’ new Luka Modric if his new manager allows him some creative freedom.
|
PL stats P90 |
Simons 25/26 |
Bergvall 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
1,757 |
1,206 |
|
Chances created |
1.74 |
0.82 |
|
Dribble success |
42.4% |
51.2% |
|
Goals |
0.1 |
0 |
|
Assists |
0.26 |
0.07 |
The last time that Bergvall played in a system without the constraints of pragmatism was under Postecoglou last season. It was then that he enjoyed great take-on success and created almost one chance per game.
Although it’s not enough to match Simons’ chance creation numbers, the 20-year-old remains Tottenham’s best hope of replicating the Dutchman’s quality, notably said to possess a “first touch like Modric” by the Athletic’s JJ Bull.
It’s that versatility which stands out, too. Bergvall, just like Modric many moons ago, can play all across midfield. He should be one of the first names on De Zerbi’s teamsheet for the sake of Spurs’ success in and out of possession.
Bergvall will be the first to admit that it’s not been the easiest season. He simply didn’t suit Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor, however, and neither did most of his teammates. Under De Zerbi, things can be different.
Spurs have a “Kane regen” who can end Solanke’s Tottenham career for good
Tottenham’s shot-shy strikers are not inspiring belief in the fight against relegation.