Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall will hope to be key players in the new-look Tottenham Hotspur starting lineup under Roberto De Zerbi.
Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have already staked their claims for a place in the new-look Tottenham Hotspur starting lineup. Roberto De Zerbi will be determined to lead the Lilywhites back to winning ways when they lock horns with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light next weekend.
Spurs are yet to win a game in the Premier League this year and could fall into the bottom three if they lose to the Black Cats and West Ham beat Wolves. The Hammers will have the luxury of setting the pace, facing Rob Edwards’ side on Friday, April 10, before Tottenham play Sunderland on Sunday, April 12.
Fortunately for the Italian, he will at least have a week or so to rally his troops before going to battle in the North East. With no time to waste, De Zerbi could be inclined to consider the performances of those who featured for their country during the international break.
Gray and Bergvall both certainly made a great first impression on Tuesday night. The former fired the England Under-21s to a 4-1 win over Moldova, maintaining their three-point lead at the top of Group G in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying campaign.
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Gray put the Three Lions ahead on the hour mark, smashing the ball into the roof of the net. The floodgates opened at Carrow Road, with Ethan Nwaneri and Romain Esse later extending England’s lead.
Before the game, Lee Carsley commented on the pressures of playing for a team embroiled in a relegation battle. Speaking to Hayters, the England Under-21 boss said: “He’s going through a lot of minutes at Tottenham under severe pressure and high-pressure situations.”
Carsley added: “It’s very difficult. I’ve had the experience of being relegated from the Premier League two years on the bounce. It’s not easy. You live and breathe it literally every minute of the day.
“And to be at a club like Tottenham, also, where the pressure will be immense with the new stadium and the training ground and the expectation, Archie has thrived in that environment, and hopefully he can keep that up.”
Meanwhile, Bergvall came off the bench to play a key role in Sweden’s qualification for the World Cup. In the final minutes of the European play-off final against Poland, the 20-year-old midfielder had a shot saved by Kamil Grabara, which fell to Besfort Zeneli, who struck the post.
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The ball then rebounded to Viktor Gyokeres, who snatched the winner from close range. Thanks to Bergvall, Graham Potter’s side have sealed a place in Group F at the World Cup, joining Japan, the Netherlands and Tunisia.
In an interview with Fotbollskanalen after the game, Bergvall provided an update on his fitness. The Swede has only recently returned to action, having required surgery on an ankle injury at the start of the year.
“It’s been tough, but it was incredibly fun to be back and that we won,” said Bergvall. “Yes, it went quickly. But it’s hard to say when you get an injury like that. It varies from person to person how quickly it goes. I was lucky to get back in time.”
Gray and Bergvall could feature in midfield when Tottenham face Sunderland next weekend. Speaking to football.london back in November 2025, the former commented on his relationship with the latter.
“Me and Lucas are really close,” said Gray. “Every time we’re on the pitch together, we just trust each other 100 per cent. Even if there is pressure on us, we know we can play to each other and we can handle that pressure. We’re really close on the pitch and off the pitch as well.”
