At the last second, Tottenham Hotspur star right back Pedro Porro was named a healthy scratch yet again for the last Premier League fixture against Everton, so Roberto De Zerbi had to turn to young center midfielder Archie Gray at the right back position once more in lieu of an actual backup right back for the Spanish international.
Spurs fans are waiting to see the version of Porro that dominated the World Cup as the best player at the position, by far, en route to hoisting the World Cup trophy for Spain. And he is definitely burned out from the summer tournament in which he gave it his all after actually not being Luis de la Fuente's starting right back in the first game, bypassed by Marcos Llorente of Atletico Madrid.
In the meantime, Gray is the option, and after a poor start to the season at right back that frustrated Spurs fans deeply in terms of hindering his development by playing him at right back, Gray was quietly excellent against Everton in this position.
Archie Gray improved as the team around him did, too
With a stouter center back duo next to him as Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven have found their best form together and with great help from midfielders like Mateus Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur, Gray had himself a wonderful game at right back with both Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie out injured.
Gray moved the ball up the pitch much better than he did in the first two games of the season, and his defensive work was tremendous, just as it usual is in the center of midfield. Archie Gray had two tackles and two interceptions, he barely misplaced a pass, and he combined quality defensive work with more of an ability to actually help drive the ball up the pitch in support of Savio.
None of the forwards can blame Gray for not helping them enough or for not doing his part on either side of the ball to make their jobs easier, as the lack of goals from Tottenham Hotspur was entirely on them.
After watching how poorly Gray played at the right back position to start the season, few Spurs fans expected this from Gray against Everton. He looked like a legitimate Premier League right back, and while he obviously isn't and will ideally start to get his minutes in midfield again, it was huge for Spurs to know that in an emergency, they may be able to start counting on him to deliver at fullback.
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