‘He’s just killed us’ – Jamie O’Hara fumes as Xavi Simons sent off for horror challenge

Dec 20, 2025 - 18:30

Xavi Simons received the first straight red card of his senior career as his miserable start to life at Tottenham hit its lowest moment yet.

The Dutchman was given his marching orders for raking his studs down the back of his Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk’s Achilles.

Simons’ complaints were ignored as referee John Brook upgraded his yellow to a red

Simons was initially shown a yellow card for his challenge on his compatriot, but VAR deemed it serious foul play and intervened.

After referee John Brooks was advised by officials at Stockley Park to go to the monitor, he upgraded the punishment to a straight red.

“What’s he doing, Simons?,” former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara said on talkSPORT.

“He’s not one of those players who goes into people, but I don’t know what he’s thinking. The ball’s not even there to win.

“He’s gone to close Van Dijk down, I think he’s tried to put his foot to the left of Van Dijk to block him off, but Van Dijk has gone that way too and he’s caught him.

“Is that really a red card? Yes, I guess it is. I understand it.

“What is he doing? He was playing alright as well, but he’s just killed us.”

Simons had been beginning to show signs of settling in north London in recent weeks, but undid his recent progress with his red card.

Gary Neville told Sky Sports: “That wasn’t clever. He was never going to get there. He rakes his studs right down Van Dijk. It’s a poor, poor challenge.

“He is absolutely nowhere near the football. Malicious, nasty, reckless? Whatever you want to call it. Stupidity.

Liverpool captain Van Dijk was left on the turf

Simons received the first red card of his senior career

“I can see why it’s being checked. It’s a ridiculous challenge. Virgil van Dijk is six foot four and 15 stone. If it is the other way around, it’s a leg breaker.

“Thomas Frank is having a whinge about it, but none of the Tottenham players are complaining. The ones who have seen it are going ‘what are you doing?'”

Premier League Match Centre issue statement

A statement read: “After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of yellow card to Simons and issued a red card for serious foul play.

“Referee announcement: ‘After review, the Tottenham No.7, with studs, catches the Liverpool player [No.4] on the calf high – it’s an act of serious foul play. My final decision is red card’.”