Tottenham Hotspur picked up their first win of the 2026 season when they beat Wolves on Saturday afternoon – but are still two points from safety at the bottom of the table as West Ham also won their game.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side finally picked up their first win since taking over, at Molineux, thanks to substitute Joao Palhinha’s late winning goal. Spurs now have 34 points from 34 games in the Premier League. But West Ham scored the winning goal against Everton in the 93rd minute to keep them ahead in the battle for survival with just four games to go.
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Although Spurs may smile a little at the victory, there are many indications that the team will now have to do without star player Xavi Simons for the rest of the season – and potentially never see him in the shirt again.
Xavi Simons suffered a serious knee injury
In the second half, while Spurs were pushing for an opening, Dutch international Xavi Simons fell to the ground. He screamed in pain after his foot got stuck on the grass when he was about to hit a cross.
Simons was clearly heavily affected. He cried on the sidelines before he was finally carried off the field on a stretcher and replaced. Early indications online suggest that it could be a cruciate ligament injury – something that would not only keep him out for the rest of the season and the World Cup, but probably also for much of next season.
His influence in the attacking midfield role has been crucial for Spurs in recent weeks. That he really cares was shown when Brighton equalised deep in injury time last weekend – his reaction spoke for itself.
Now he can’t help the team avoid relegation. Without him, they face a big problem: Who will fill the creative role when the team is already struggling mightily to score goals?
Xavi’s Spurs career is probably over
Tottenham’s status in the Premier League is hanging by a thread. With Simons now potentially out for a long time, this could very well be the last time he plays for the club – and under manager De Zerbi.
Relegation will force the club to get his high wages off the books. But finding a new club for him while he is long-term injured will be almost impossible. And for a player with such a great reputation, it is almost unthinkable that he will play in the English second division when he is finally back in form.
If the worst-case scenario is confirmed – a cruciate ligament injury, at the same time as Tottenham are relegated – then his career at the club is most likely over.
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