Archie Gray struggled for Tottenham’s win over Crystal Palace but was happy to put his side on top and help his ‘brothers’ earn another three points.
Spurs were bottom of the Premier League and went six games without a win before last month’s victory over Coventry, but Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Palace made it three league wins in a row for the first time in 616 days.
Gray’s 25th-minute header helped 10-man Palace break the deadlock, but a first-half yellow card meant Roberto De Zerbi sent the England youngster off at half-time.
“Yes, I was (gutted) to be fair, but I was on a yellow card and we didn’t want to take any chances,” Gray said. “I think it’s a very important time for us. I think we’ve improved a lot over the last few weeks.
Make sure you never miss the latest Tottenham news and reviews football.london One of Google’s preferred sources.
“We’re more of a team, we’re more together, and yes, we perform better because we work for each other on the field.”
A third Spurs goal for Gray was followed by the 20-year-old being taken on by a number of substitutes on the touchline.
Boss De Zerbi has repeatedly referred to the importance of a new-look squad in the early weeks of the campaign and October’s warm-weather training session in Marbella may have done the trick to help Tottenham, who finished eighth last season, escape relegation.
Gray told SpursPlay: “The Marbella trip would have helped obviously and just getting to know each other. Being almost like brothers on the pitch is something the gaffer talks about all the time and that’s what we’re trying to do.
“We all get along really well and you see it on the pitch. Even during the celebration, all the assistants run up to the players and they’re the little things that mean a lot to us. That’s the most important thing and why we’ve improved.
“It’s really important to get three wins on the bounce. It hasn’t happened in a long time and it was really important to do it.”
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! The latest Spurs news, analysis and more via our dedicated Facebook page