Archie Gray can become Tottenham regular again, two performances last season prove it

Archie Gray lost his way at Tottenham Hotspur towards the end of the 2025-2026 season.

The arrival of Roberto De Zerbi had added a twist to his career in N17.

In the final seven matches, he made just three appearances, with a grand total of just 102 minutes of game time.

Now, with the arrival of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, Gray's minutes could further be at risk.

But, there are two standout statistics from two performances from Gray in the last season that could still yet give him hope.

Those displays offered Tottenham qualities that nobody else in the squad were capable of showing.

The two statistics that offer Archie Gray Tottenham hope

De Zerbi likes his midfielders to have excellent technical qualities, but he also wants them to be hard-working.

While you can improve your on-ball technique, changing your work ethic and mentality can prove to be a lot tougher.

That is something that Gray already has in abundance and as Tottenham Hotspur News earlier reported have made people like Harry Redknapp touting Gray for future captaincy.

But while Gray's work rate may not come as a surprise for fans, the proof is certainly clear as day looking back at last season.

According to Sofascore, no player made more sprints (55) in a single Premier League fixture last season than Gray did against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Additionally, among all recorded performances in the 2025-2026 season, Gray came in with the 10th most distance covered (12.8km) in one match.

This came in Tottenham's 1-1 draw against Liverpool.

Across both lists, there is not a single other Spurs player, making Gray a standout in that regard.

Why Gray can overcome Tottenham adversity

Tottenham have added some big names to their squad already and players that will be directly competing with Gray.

But, if there is anything those two statistics show is that Gray works best when he pushes himself.

That 1-1 draw against Liverpool was one of Tottenham's better performances from January 2026 until De Zerbi eventually took over.

If the midfielder can produce more of those types of displays, he has every chance of making himself a regular under the Italian.

It will not be an easy path forward by any means, but at 20 years old, Gray has plenty of time on his hands to do so.