Things simply had to get better for Tottenham Hotspur.
All the supporters wanted to see after a dismal display in the first North London Derby of the season on Sunday, was a better performance, with more fight and more attacking intent at the home of the Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
It was clear it was going to be a tough test, away in the Parc des Princes, against Luis Enrique’s side who had only lost twice this season so far – once in Ligue Un and once in the Champions League.
But Spurs acquitted themselves well in a cauldron of noise in the French capital, with head coach Thomas Frank showing he had learnt from the weekend’s display by opting for a more attacking lineup.
Five changes
Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso, Joao Palhinha, Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert all dropped out of the starting XI, having disappointed at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with Pedro Porro, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr and Randal Kolo Muani all coming in.
And the freshness had an immediate impact.
Spurs were much the better side in the opening exchanges and got at the French champions at will in the first 10 or so minutes, opening them up, but just failing to get the all-important early goal.
Even when PSG did find their footing and start to take the game by the scruff of the neck, Tottenham kept them at arm’s length until a superb strike from Vitinha from the edge of the box on the stroke of half-time.
That goal was an equaliser, however, with Spurs having taken the lead in the Parc des Princes through Richarlison’s close range header. That lead was no less than the visitors deserved.
Teen dream
At the heart of that goal – and Spurs’ best play – though were two teenagers.
Gray and Bergvall were brought into the starting lineup and were excellent throughout an effervescnet opening 45 minutes.
Kolo Muani will be the man to have the assist by his name for Richarlison’s goal, but the good work was actually done by the two teenagers.
Bergvall ran into the left-hand channel, drawing out his man before finding Gray on the underlap with a nice backheel pass. Gray then got to the byline and stood a ball up to the back post for Kolo Muani to head back across goal for Richarlison to head home.
The Swede was everywhere in the opening 15 minutes, doing the one thing that was missing from Sunday’s performance in the North London Derby – wanting the ball.
Gray was not far behind him in the impressive stakes, showing a calmness on the ball, doing the dirty work when required in the middle of the park and getting forward to help his fellow youngster too.
Lacking minutes
It begs the question of why they have been so sparingly used so far this season, with Frank opting regularly for a midfield duo of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur.
Bergvall has managed just 414 minutes on the pitch in nine appearances in the Premier League – which averages out at 46 minutes per match. He has missed three of the games completely.
Gray has just 72 Premier League minutes to his name so far this season, from just two matches.
The teenagers have a lot still to learn of course, and they both did tire in the second half against the Parisiens, coming off midway through the period, but they are the future of Tottenham’s midfield and they made their point quite clearly in that 45 minutes in the French capital.