There are a few players on Tottenham Hotspur whose stocks are trending upwards after a back to back span of games in which the Premier League powerhouse have won by a combined score line of 5-0. And while Brentford and Slavia Praha are hardly world beaters, they are not terrible teams and are honestly the kinds of opponents Spurs were struggling to really put away earlier this season.
When Spurs were struggling before that against teams like Arsenal, PSG, and Fulham, Thomas Frank finally started to play young center midfielder Archie Gray, who was once viewed as someone who should be a pet project of the Danish coach's. After all, Frank tried very hard to sign Gray for Brentford from Leeds United about a year ago, only to be outgunned in the end by Tottenham Hotspur.
Now, Gray has become an undisputed starter, just as Spurs fans were begging for this season. Meanwhile, the other young sensation in midfield, Lucas Bergvall, is finally becoming a regular starter for Frank, too, as the former Brentford manager finally started playing the two in the lineup alongside each other.
Archie Gray sets the table
Bergvall came into the season with more hype after a great 2024/25 season in which he played a key role in Spurs winning the Europa League title under Ange Postecoglou. Meanwhile, Gray, in is first season with Spurs, was an afterthought, with Postecoglou frustratingly leaving Gray to the side and even starting him as a center back.
Well in 2025/26, Spurs fans are seeing the best of Gray and how much he solidifies the entire team, and they are also starting to see the reason why Spurs paid more for Gray than they did for Bergvall. Now, while that has more to do with the mechanics of the market and signing a player from Leeds vs. spending on someone abroad, it is true that Gray was tabbed for superstardom as one of the finest young midfielders in the coffers of the England talent pool.
Tottenham are starting to see that talent from Gray, and he may actually have more importance to Spurs going forward than even Bergvall. While Bergvall is a great young midfielder and a highly dynamic box to box maven, Gray is the kind of player and profile who can set the table for an entire organization with his clean passing, ball progression, courage, and reading of the game defensively. Gray is the base from which the table is set, and Spurs are seeing that there is a clear difference between the overall impact that profile and quality can have from even a Bergvall type.