Thomas Frank and Conor Gallagher praise 'winning' mentality of Xavi Simons for Tottenham

Manager Thomas Frank and midfielder Conor Gallagher have both praised the Dutch playmaker's relentless winning mentality.

Spurs had trailed at half-time after goals from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo put City in control. However, Simons was central to Tottenham's second-half revival, constantly demanding the ball and driving his team forward as they staged an impressive comeback.

The 22-year-old helped spark the turnaround with a clever outside-of-the-boot pass that led to Dominic Solanke's first goal in the 53rd minute, before the striker's spectacular scorpion-kick equaliser completed the fightback on 70 minutes.Simons continued to threaten late on, creating further chances and testing City's goalkeeper as Spurs pushed for a winner.

Speaking after the match, Frank highlighted Simons' growing influence and competitive spirit."Xavi's a winner, a big winner," said the Tottenham boss. "He's very creative and we see more and more of that, but also his mentality to fight for second balls, to counter-press and win duels.

"When he runs at goal, he's electric. He's really grown."

Gallagher echoed his manager's praise, describing Simons as a player every team wants."He's brilliant," said the midfielder. "He works so hard and just wants to win. He's full of passion and quality. You can see why you want him in your team because he always wants the ball and creates chances."

The draw marked the first time Manchester City had failed to win after leading by two goals at half-time since 2018, underlining the scale of Tottenham's comeback.

Tottenham now turn their focus to an away trip to Manchester United in the Premier League this Saturday, followed by a demanding February schedule that includes home fixtures against Newcastle United and Arsenal. In Europe, Spurs are awaiting the upcoming Champions League knockout phase draw, with round-of-16 ties scheduled for March.

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