Forget Simons: Tottenham Star O’Hara Called ‘Awful’ is Also Now Undroppable

Tottenham Hotspur endured a crushing late blow as their first win of 2026 was snatched away from them in the final moments on Saturday evening. However, there were plenty of encouraging signs when it came to the displays of several players.

Spurs appeared destined to claim their first Premier League victory since beating Crystal Palace on December 28, leading Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 deep into second-half stoppage time.

Xavi Simons’ magnificent strike looked set to be the decisive moment, with manager Roberto De Zerbi fully aware that a win against his former club would lift Tottenham out of the relegation zone.

Instead, with only five games remaining, the north London side find themselves one point adrift of safety. Worse still, the two teams directly above them—West Ham United and Nottingham Forest—both have a game in hand after playing later in the weekend.

Forest face a potentially winnable home fixture against 19th-placed Burnley, while West Ham will back themselves to beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The Eagles may be distracted by their Europa Conference League campaign, having celebrated a night out in Florence on Thursday after reaching the semi-finals.

Xavi Simons ‘unstoppable’ against Brighton

Simons has been something of an enigma since his move from RB Leipzig. While his talent and attacking output have never been in doubt, neither Thomas Frank nor his short-lived successor Igor Tudor was willing to hand the Dutchman a regular starting berth.

Clearly, the 23-year-old hadn’t been doing enough to guarantee a place in the XI during training at Hotspur Way. But the clash against Brighton could prove a turning point for the playmaker.

Sky Sports co-commentator Alan Smith described Simons as “Tottenham’s best player” on the night and called his goal “unstoppable”—praise that was fully justified based on his performance.

He set up the opener with a beautifully delivered cross that Pedro Porro bravely headed home, then came close to scoring himself when he struck the post. Simons did find the net in the second half with a brilliant finish, a goal that should cement his place in the starting lineup for the crucial clash against Wolves next weekend.

Gallagher now undroppable alongside Simons

Conor Gallagher has struggled to live up to expectations since his January move from Atletico Madrid—far from ideal given he is reportedly earning £200,000 a week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Englishman has faced plenty of criticism, including from talkSPORT pundit and former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who labelled him “absolutely awful” after last month’s defeat to Crystal Palace.

Gallagher was dropped for the losses to Palace and Nottingham Forest under Tudor but has now started both matches since De Zerbi took charge. The 26-year-old showed significant improvement against the Seagulls on Saturday, with one outlet rating him 7/10 and describing it as “arguably his best game in a Tottenham shirt.”

Admittedly, that’s a low bar, but it’s hard to argue against. He pressed effectively and covered every blade of grass. Gallagher’s greatest assets are his stamina and work rate, and if he continues to leave everything on the pitch over the final five games—as he did on Saturday—he must keep his place alongside Simons.