Gary Neville was impressed with two Tottenham players in the 2-2 draw against Manchester City in the Premier League.
Tottenham picked up a point against Manchester City despite being down by two goals at half-time.
Thomas Frank was under pressure going into that game and undoubtedly has done himself favours with that result.
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Gary Neville raves over Tottenham duo Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha
Neville was pleased with the performances of Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha in the second half against Manchester City.
The duo, along with the rest of their teammates, were under the cosh going into the final 45 minutes of the game.
Palhinha and Gray both played in unorthodox positions, but it was a decision that paid off.
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Gray started as a right wing-back, with Frank deploying a 3-4-2-1 system, while Palhinha played behind him on the right side of a back three for Tottenham.
In the second half, they successfully nullified the City right side, offering no room to the likes of Antoine Semenyo and Nico O’Reilly.
Reacting to their performance, Neville said on The Gary Neville Podcast: “A back four that really should have been caused all sorts of problems, but weren’t.
“They really stood up, Archie Gray and I think Palhinha on the right side of defence in particular, who were out of position. I thought they were fantastic in that second half.”
What do the underlying stats reveal about Gray and Palhinha?
Frank would have been thrilled to see both Palhinha and Gray stepping up to play in unfamiliar roles against quality opposition.
According to Sofascore, Gray was tidy in possession, completing 80 per cent of his passes, and also won both of the tackles he attempted.
The 19-year-old even made two clearances and one interception despite playing in a slightly more advanced role.
Palhinha, on the other hand, had a lot more mopping up to do, making a total of five clearances all game.
He was also exceptional when it came to ground duels, winning all but one of his eight attempts.
The Bayern Munich loanee made a total of 12 defensive contributions and in many ways, played a pivotal role in ensuring that Spurs did not lose the game.