Teenage prodigy Archie Gray is expected to be on the bench for Tottenham on his emotional return to boyhood club Leeds United
Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for the trip to Leeds United on Saturday’s early lunchtime kick-off, as Thomas Frank looks to get back to winning ways in the Premier League.
The north London club were in Champions League action on Tuesday night, having travelled to the Arctic Circle to face Bodo/Glimt. It was not a great performance put in by the boys and they were lucky to come away with a point. Despite being 2-0 down, Thomas Frank’s side did not give up and fought until the end to earn a draw- a valuable point in the grand scheme of things in the Champions League.
Now, Spurs shift their focus to Leeds United’s challenge at Elland Road. Thomas Frank is set to ring some changes to his XI that started against Bodo/Glimt in Norway.
Joao Palhinha tipped to start vs Leeds United; no place in the XI for Archie Gray on his return to Elland Road
Joao Palhinha has impressed since arriving at Tottenham on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window. Such has been his impact that reputed journalist Alasdair Gold has urged Spurs to sign Palhinha permanently from Bayern.
The Portugal international has been instrumental for Tottenham’s bright start to the 2025/26 season, making a difference at both ends of the pitch from the heart of midfield. Despite being a defensive midfielder, the 30-year-old has already scored three goals in our famous white shirt- with the latest being a crucial stoppage-time equaliser against Wolves last weekend.
As such, reputable Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham believes Palhinha will be one of the first names on Tottenham’s teamsheet against Leeds United. He also claims young Archie Gray won’t get a start at the weekend, despite returning to Elland Road after more than a year.
“For me, Palhinha is basically the first name on the team sheet at the minute. I just think he makes such a difference in all aspects of the game,” John Wenham exclusively told Tottenham News.
“But for Leeds away, I want to see us on the front foot, so I personally would be starting with Palhinha, Pape Sarr, and then Rodrigo Bentancur.
“Gray would have to come in really for one of Sarr or Bergvall, and I think that makes us a little bit more defensive than I want to see us go. I want to see us go to Leeds and dominate and win the game.”
Archie Gray could get minutes off the bench
A product of the Leeds United academy, Archie Gray joined Spurs in the summer of 2024 and did well in his debut season in N17. He was heavily involved last term, as an injury crisis stretched former boss Ange Postecoglou’s squad.
However, the teenager has not started a Premier League game for Frank’s side since the 3-1 win over Burnley on the opening day of the season. The game against Leeds will be an emotional one for the Englishman as he returns to his boyhood club for the first time since leaving in 2024, but Frank is unlikely to hand him a start on Saturday. Gray could very well feature off the bench and help his side beat his former employers in front of a boisterous Elland Road.