“It was a great second goal by Xavi Simons, but…..”- Les Ferdinand criticises Xavi Simons for one thing he did in Tottenham vs Brighton draw

“It was a great second goal by Xavi Simons, but…..”- Les Ferdinand criticises Xavi Simons for one thing he did in Tottenham vs Brighton draw

Les Ferdinand admitted he was taken aback by one particular moment from Xavi Simons during the second half of Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Brighton.

Spurs are still waiting for their first Premier League win of 2026 after coming agonizingly close to beating Brighton, only to suffer a last-gasp heartbreak.

Brighton snatched a 95th-minute equalizer following a defensive error from the hosts, just after Xavi Simons thought he had secured the victory for Tottenham with a 77th-minute strike.

The reaction from both players and fans at the final whistle highlighted just how damaging the late goal was—and some supporters may look back on this as the moment that sealed the club’s relegation.

Ferdinand criticizes Tottenham players’ over-the-top celebrations

When Simons put Spurs ahead, the stadium erupted. The Dutch midfielder leaped into the celebrating crowd in the South Stand, soon swarmed by his teammates.

But Ferdinand felt the celebrations were excessive given how much time remained on the clock.

“It was a brilliant second goal from Xavi Simons, but the celebrations… I looked at Daws [Michael Dawson] and said, ‘78 minutes—there’s still a long way to go.’ You need concentration,” Ferdinand told Sky Sports.

Should Spurs players dial back the emotion in a relegation fight?

Emotions ran high throughout the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is understandable given the club’s precarious situation.

Spurs also now have a highly emotional manager in De Zerbi, who lives every kick of the game from the sidelines.

Perhaps Tottenham would cope better with the pressure of a relegation battle if they could remove some of that emotion and stay calmer on the pitch.