Tim Sherwood has claimed that a beleaguered Tottenham Hotspur star has an opportunity to become a hero at the Emirates Stadium.Out of the seven signings Tottenham made in the summer, the one that excited the supporters the most was Xavi Simons.However, it can be argued that he has been the least impressive of the lot so far, with the 22-year-old struggling to come to terms with the pace and physicality of the Premier League.Xavi has already been written off as a flop by some pundits, but the attacking midfielder was showing some positive signs ahead of the international break.Credit: @thefrederikkejensen / InstagramTim Sherwood claims Xavi Simons can become an overnight Tottenham heroSherwood has now urged Thomas Frank to play the Dutchman in his preferred number 10 role at the Emirates so that he can show what he can do.The former Spurs interim head coach suggested that the North London derby presents a great opportunity for the former RB Leipzig man to win over the Tottenham faithful.Sherwood said about Xavi to Sky Sports: “Play him where he wants to play, he wants to play as a number ten, but Thomas Frank doesn’t play with a number ten.“He must have told him when he was coming to sign, or Xavi Simons shouldn’t have come, if he said, I’m going to play you off the left, but you can drift or play off the right, and you can drift into central areas, then he’s got absolutely no excuse.“He’s got to deliver when he gets on the ball, and he’s got to show a lot more than what he’s shown. I think there’s a lot of onus on him, like I said, the reputation.“It’s difficult to adjust to a different country and to adjust to the Premier League; it does take time. It normally takes time, and the time becomes easier if you’ve got better players around you, feeding him the ball.“The fans like him, he [Frank] got booed when he bought him off against Man United before the international break, but that’s for a reason, because they’re starved of any creativity within the rest of the team.“We’re saying Tottenham are doing well in the Premier League, but at home, they’re not doing very well. This game on Sunday is all about making heroes, and there’s a chance for him to be an instant hero.“You can score against Arsenal and get a positive result, then automatically you get elevated into that hero status, and they’ve got an opportunity to be able to do that.“He’s got the ability, of course, he has, but they’re all very similar in his position. Odobert, Tel, Kudus. Kudus has done all right, but they’re very, very similar. I don’t think Tottenham have got the balance right, and certainly haven’t got the recruitment right.”"If you can score against Arsenal, you automatically elevate to hero status."Tim Sherwood on Xavi Simons’ chance to score in the North London Derby 👀 pic.twitter.com/csmEYfWrE0— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 22, 2025Will Xavi start the North London derby?Pape Matar Sarr has been passed fit for the Arsenal clash, and one would expect the midfielder to come into the starting eleven.Thomas Frank has gone with a midfield three of Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha at times away from home and against the likes of Chelsea at home.If he goes with the same midfield at the Emirates, Xavi will be competing with Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert and Brenna Johnson for the left-sided spot in the front three, and it would not be surprising if he does not make the eleven.READ MORE: Mikel Arteta reveals how he expects Tottenham under Thomas Frank to be different to Ange PostecoglouThe post Tim Sherwood claims much-maligned Tottenham star can become an overnight ‘hero’ against Arsenal appeared first on Spurs Web.