Colin Miller of The Athletic claimed that Tottenham Hotspur were “the worst team in the league this year”. How fiercely can it be contested?
Even Spurs’ most loyal supporters will admit that Spurs are in danger of falling from the top of the table and that Igor Tudor has a considerable job of getting the club over the finish line with three teams still lagging behind.
Mr. Miller was not being hyperbolic. Tottenham are literally the worst team in the Premier League at the moment. As of 2026, they are the only team yet to win a game, with just four points, three points behind Wolves and Burnley.
Herein lies the intensity of the struggle of north Londoners. They are really at risk and so many stars are flattering and deceiving. New signing Xavi Simmons has been a little unlucky, but Tudor may still want to consider offloading an attacking midfielder.
Why Tudor could release Xavi Simmons
Let’s be clear: Simmons is a talented playmaker who could be an outstanding addition to Tottenham, both in the Premier League and in Europe.
But so far he has ebbed and flowed in the Premier League, and it’s fair to say he hasn’t been able to generate and maintain the spark Spurs need to continue their run of form.
Against Arsenal, he struggled to find his rhythm and was easily robbed of the ball. In fact, he has been given the ball seven times, a record for a single Premier League game this season.
Tottenham’s Xavi Simmons | ||
|---|---|---|
Match statistics (* per 90) | PL | UCL |
Match (start) | 21(16) | 8(5) |
the goal | 1 | 1 |
assist | 4 | 1 |
touch* | 50.0 | 49.9 |
Number of shots (on target)* | 1.5(0.4) | 1.8(0.4) |
Exact path* | 26.3 (82%) | 28.8 (86%) |
A big opportunity has arisen | 6 | 4 |
Key pass* | 1.3 | 1.3 |
Successful. dribble* | 1.0 | 1.3 |
Recovery rate* | 3.7 | 2.9 |
Tackle + Interception* | 2.0 | 1.9 |
Win a duel* | 4.6 | 4.4 |
Simmons is a hardworking and dynamic attacking midfielder. He has the potential to succeed at Tottenham, but as the recent defeat to Arsenal highlighted, he still has much to learn.
He would have to go, which would likely mean Tudor would have to rework the system. Although it is a drastic move, I cannot believe that the current system is working at all.
And Simmons isn’t the only one who may need to make way.
Tudor could be bold enough to break contract with Spurs
Conor Gallagher, who only joined Tottenham’s staff last month, will probably not be happy to be left out of the starting XI.
However, the England international may not be able to produce results for the ENIC group at the moment. They have not performed well in the past few Premier League games.
Indeed, while he is sharp on the ball, Gallagher’s one-dimensional passing play could make him a new version of the club’s Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp. Both midfielders passed with confidence but lacked ideas and innovation.
Both academy graduates are currently playing for Leicester City in the Championship, with the Foxes currently in the relegation zone with six points and fighting for relegation to League One.
A hard-working and intelligent player, the 26-year-old was swallowed up on his return to British shores. He is functional but lacks inspiration on the ball and has yet to prove himself to be the valuable cog that was expected when he arrived from Atletico Madrid for £35 million.
The former Chelsea prospect should enjoy brighter days in Tottenham colors, but those colors have yet to arrive and he is yet to prove himself a fixture in Tudor’s midfield.
Gallagher, who has averaged nearly two tackles and nearly five duels per Premier League game so far, is far from useless, but he hasn’t been able to create any big chances for the Londoners, as he doesn’t form any links with the likes of Simmons or create gaps himself.
Tottenham expect Lukas Bergvall to return from injury in the coming weeks, with Pedro Polo also set to return. With this in mind, Gallagher could be dropped and his return could see Archie Gray return to his natural midfield role, which he rarely plays.
The teenager has emerged as something of a leader for the Lilywhites, with Bergvall a raw but talented player who is a real force moving the ball.
Gallagher joined Tottenham during the trial period. There is no doubt that he is a talented midfielder, but he simply does not have the right skill set to make an immediate turnaround, which is needed by the powers that be in the winter transfer window.
But he is at risk of joining former players like Skip and Winks, who find it difficult to succeed at the heart of Tottenham’s midfield.
In keeping with the theme of the new manager’s name, Tottenham are in danger of becoming a thing of the past. They need to become more progressive in their play if they are to avoid the almost unfathomable threat of falling to the Championship, and while Symonds has the qualities to play that role, there is a sense that Gallagher is too limited on the ball to make meaningful changes from the center of the park.
As bad as Gallagher: Spurs’ failure is biggest waste of money since Richarlison
Tottenham Hotspur appear to have made a big mistake by adding one first-team member.
