Creative flatness threatens to stymie start to season

Van de Ven: ‘He can create a lot of special things’

Micky van de Ven believes Xavi Simons could be the solution to the creative flatness threatening to undermine Tottenham’s start to the season. With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison sustaining long-term injuries and Dominic Solanke undergoing a procedure on his troublesome ankle, Tottenham have started to look a little predictable in forward areas and form has stuttered over the past month.

Thomas Frank acknowledged before Tuesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw with the Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt that the almost complete change to the front four – with Son Heung-min also departed – has created issues. Simons arrived from RB Leipzig just before the end of the transfer window for more than £50m. He is still adapting, but he set up a goal against West Ham and played a key role coming off the bench in Spurs’ late comeback in Norway.