Tottenham Hotspur are starting to pick up form at an important time in the season, but Roberto De Zerbi has also made some tough choices. With Spurs fighting to avoid relegation, he has gone for a more experienced and strong midfield, leaving Archie Gray on the bench and unsure of his role for the rest of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur are starting to improve in the Premier League relegation battle. They are still locked in a fight to stay up alongside London rivals West Ham United, but recent results have given them a lift. Back-to-back wins under Roberto De Zerbi have helped the team regain confidence, even with a long list of injuries and players missing across the squad.
There has also been clear progress at the back. Spurs are now defending with more control, and they are not giving away as many clear chances as before. Across their last three matches, they have only allowed about 1.84 expected goals in total, which shows how much tighter they have become without the ball. This improved approach has made it harder for opponents to break them down and has helped them stay competitive in close games in the Premier League.
Going forward, Spurs are also beginning to look more dangerous again. After struggling for most of the season in front of goal, they are now creating better chances and showing more confidence in attack.
The goals are starting to come at important moments, and that has helped them turn tight matches into valuable points and has help them leave the drop zone. With survival still not secure, this mix of stronger defending and improving attack could be key as the season reaches its final stages.
Midfield changes restore balance and stability to Spurs
The changes in midfield have had a big impact on Tottenham’s performances, with Conor Gallagher, Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur now playing key roles in the middle of the pitch. Their mix of energy, discipline and strength has made the Lilywhites much harder to play through, especially in tight matches, and this has started to change how the team controls games.
That control was missing earlier in the season, when opponents were finding too much space in central areas and Spurs often looked open and easy to break down, especially when trying to build attacks. So far those problems have now improved, with the team looking more connected, more in control, and stronger in possession, and that was clearly seen in their 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
With that improvement, Spurs have also begun to give away fewer clear chances in recent weeks. Gallagher brings pressing and energy, Bentancur adds calmness and control since returning from injury, and Palhinha offers strength and protection in front of the defence, winning many duels and helping to stop danger before it develops.
Even so, injuries have affected Tottenham all season, with several players missing at different times which makes consistency hard to maintain. Creativity has also been affected by constant changes in the team, but despite these setbacks, the current midfield setup has brought more balance, structure and stability, and it is now playing a key role in their fight to stay up.
How Tottenham’s midfield reshuffle has blocked Archie Gray
This change in midfield has come at a cost for Archie Gray. The young midfielder is still highly rated at Tottenham after joining from Leeds United at the age of 18, but his involvement in the team has now dropped, with fewer chances to feature in recent matches.
After being used regularly under Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, Gray has now been left out of the last three Premier League games, a drop in involvement as there are concerns about his physical strength, especially after De Zerbi’s first game in charge against Sunderland, where he was taken off after an hour.
That game also highlighted his struggles in duels, as this season he has won only 35% of them, and against Sunderland he did not make a single challenge. As a result, De Zerbi has leaned towards a stronger midfield since Bentancur returned and Gallagher found form, which has made competition for places even tougher.
With that in mind, another factor affecting Gray’s situation has been his role across different positions. He has played in defence, midfield and full-back roles, and while this shows his versatility, it has also affected his rhythm and consistency in the side.
This is reflected in his overall appearances for Tottenham, where he has featured as a centre-back, defensive midfielder, central midfielder, right-back, left-back and right midfielder, contributing a small number of goals and assists across those roles.
Because of this rotation and the current midfield balance, De Zerbi has now settled on a setup that is working well, and Gray has not been part of it in recent games.
Although he is technically strong and works hard, he may still lack the physical strength needed at this stage of the season, so De Zerbi continues with a more experienced and physical midfield as Spurs aim to stay up.