Earlier than expected and without much more than a day's warning, Lucas Bergvall returned from another significant injury to give Tottenham Hotspur a boost, seeing out a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League that serves as an important morale victory with the thick of the Premier League relegation battle on the horizon.
Bergvall is one of the bigges gems at Tottenham, and he was one of the team's best players in the 2024/25 season before going down with his first big injury before he could partake in the Europa League Final that he helped Spurs reach.
Now, Bergvall joins a midfield that should be even better going forward, because in his absence, another young gem, Archie Gray, has stepped up with even more impressive performances than the Swedish international.
Tottenham need to use the future now
Bergvall and Gray complement each other so well. Gray is the holding midfielder who screens the defense and makes plays, while Bergvall is a world class athlete and a fiery No. 8 who can run from box to box, even contributing to goals. Both young men were held back by Thomas Frank, and seeing Gray shine under Igor Tudor gives Bergvall hope that he can do the same.
The duo is the clear starting bedrock of a Tottenham Hotspur midfield that is finally begining to click into place with its best players. And ahead of them, Xavi Simons is the man to finish out the ideal midfield trio for Spurs, starting as the No. 10. Judging by how he performed against Atletico Madrid, he, too, like Gray, is ready to play his best football away from Frank.
Gray, Bergvall, and Simons together is an incredible midfield trio for Tottenham both in the short and long term. Most Spurs supporters would have told you before the season started that this trio would be the ideal group to start, but Frank spent so much time forcing the veterans like Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha into the starting lineup, perhaps because he knew those players better and had no idea what to do with the young stars.
But the future is now for Tottenham. Tudor is at least a competent manager, and he has found the winning formula in Gray, Bergvall, and Simons without even trying. With Bergvall back in the saddle after the injury, he is set to integrate seamlessly into this young and hungry trident, and they will need to be at their best in this relegation fight.