Xavi Simons sends ‘no excuses’ message in 13-word statement to Tottenham team-mates ahead of Nottingham Forest clash

London – After lighting up the Champions League with a two-goal masterclass against Atlético Madrid, Xavi Simons has turned his focus to domestic duty and demanded collective accountability from his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest.

The 22-year-old Dutch playmaker, signed from RB Leipzig last summer, struck a spectacular first-half curler and converted a stoppage-time penalty to seal a 3-2 second-leg victory over the Spanish giants at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Although the win was not enough to overturn a 7-5 aggregate deficit, it provided a timely morale boost for Igor Tudor’s squad following last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool.

Simons, who earned an 8/10 player rating for his efforts, posted a succinct rallying cry on Instagram within hours of the final whistle: “Obvious disappointment, but a building block. We build from here now. No excuses.”

The 13-word statement underlines Simons’ determination to translate his continental form into the Premier League, where Spurs have struggled for consistency this season. Having been criticised for failing to justify his hefty transfer fee, the midfielder’s latest display offered a glimpse of the talent that persuaded the club to invest so heavily.

Tudor will hope Simons’ resurgence can ignite a late-season surge, beginning against a Forest side fighting for points at the opposite end of the table. With time running out to salvage European qualification through league position, Sunday’s fixture has assumed must-win status for the north Londoners.

Simons’ return to confidence could not be better timed; if he maintains Wednesday’s levels of energy and incision, Nottingham Forest will need to be on high alert from the first whistle.