Tottenham: Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall emerging as unlikely leaders during Spurs crisis
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Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly was arguably the story of Wednesday's north London derby, producing a coming-of-age display in his side's 2-1 win, but Tottenham pair Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, also 18, were standout players on the night, too.
Gray, who is deputising out-of-position at centre-back, and Bergvall, as well as 24-year-old Djed Spence, have been rays of light in Spurs' gloomy midwinter, going from bit-part players early in the season to regular starters across a number of positions.
Gray's ability to fill-in at the heart of defence has been enormous for Ange Postecoglou, while Bergvall arrived at Spurs as an attacking midfielder but impressed at No6 in the second half at the Emirates – and is likely to continue in a deeper role for Sunday's visit to Everton.
They were both impressive at the Emirates, even as Spurs slipped to a sixth league defeat in nine games. The teenage pair are also emerging as unlikely leaders in a squad which appears short of influential senior players, particularly with one of Postecoglou's vice-captains, Cristian Romero, injured and the other, James Maddison, in and out of the side.
"Our young players are certainly standing up," Postecoglou said ahead of the visit to Goodison Park. "Leadership can come in all forms and maybe it will be the young ones that do get us through, there’s no reason why they can’t. “That’s the message I’ve been giving back to them, whatever it takes and whoever stands up in these moments, don’t wait for somebody else. If you feel like it’s going to be you, then you take that moment.".
