Archie Gray is beginning to look like the profile of midfielder Tottenham have lacked, and his latest statistical return hints that Spurs may have finally found some balance.
Tottenham Hotspur put in a top performance in their last Premier League matchup against Brentford on Saturday afternoon as Thomas Frank beat his former side.
The Dane will have been pleased with the response from his players, as they looked to take the game to Brentford from the very first minute, despite the pressure in recent weeks.
Frank rang the changes, and coming back to the starting XI was Archie Gray, who played alongside Rodrigo Bentancur in the pivot role.
Underlying stat shows Archie Gray might be the answer to Tottenham imbalance
Gray was impressive to say the least, and his underlying numbers make for interesting reading as Frank looks to find balance in his team.
According to FotMob, the Tottenham youngster was the most accurate passer at 94 per cent amongst players to play 45 minutes or more, with the midfielder completing 31/33 passes.
His forward thinking also saw him play five passes into the final third, with one touch in the opposition box from 50 touches in the game.
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The teenager did balance his attacking play with defensive thinking, as he made two tackles, four clearances, one interception and two recoveries, and he was dribbled past zero times.
Thomas Frank must consider a new pivot pairing
Stats from earlier this season showed that the pivot pairing of Rodrigo Bentancur and Palhinha was hindering Spurs’ attacking play, given how conservative both players are.
Frank had hinted that they were his preferred pairing still, but in the last two games, we have seen the manager try out different combinations.
Gray stats show that he can balance defensive play with attacking thrust, as his five passes into the final third show he is a player capable of starting attacks from deep.