This time, Archie Gray's tremendous individual efforts were rewarded as part of a Tottenham Hotspur victory, but even when Spurs have been at their most woeful in the past few weeks, the 20 year old center midfielder has shown a quality above the rest of his teammates - and even the opposition.
Gray was wonderful in the 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid, ruling the midfield, with even Atleti star Marcos Llorente, who used to be a key player for the mighty Real Madrid, going out of his way to shake the former Leeds United man's hand.
You can see why Gray is so coveted by the big clubs around Europe, including Bayern Munich and that very same Real Madrid, and you can also see why Spurs are so worried about losing him. And after watching how brilliant he was in helping Spurs dismantle Atletico Madrid on a Champions League night, Tottenham fans have to be that much more against the idea of relegation from the Premier League - including those insane enough to think that relegation will be good for resetting the club.
Tottenham can't lose Archie Gray
Relegation would almost certainly mean losing Gray, becaue if Spurs get relegated, it will be even easier for thos elite clubs like Bayern and Real to pry him away. And Gray, as brilliant as he has been for Tottenham of late, is not ready for that kind of a move yet. When agents start getting involved and these big clubs and big fees are thrown around, you never know what can happen.
Tottenham Hotspur simply cannot leave things up to chance. Archie Gray is a gem of a footballer and an ideal modern midfielder in that deep playmaking role with his technical quality, bravery, versatility, and defensive coverage. Losing Gray is, if Spurs even needed another incentive, all the more reason to avoid any remote possibility of going down to the EFL Championship.
So as Tottenham fans watch Gray dazzle in the middle of the park, the knowledge that a talent of his caliber could leave should spark a fear in them that leads to even more vociferous cheers going forward. When relegation is on the line, losing the future world class players like Gray is also on the line, so survival is not just for the short term but for those long term ambitions every Tottenham Hotspur fan still has - and must have - of Premier League titles.