Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli put in yet another magical performance last night.

This time he helped put Champions League champs Real Madrid to the sword at Wembley.

The twenty-one year old’s brace against Los Blancos helped Spurs secure a 3-0 victory and that saw the Lilywhites qualify for the knock-out stages of European football’s most elite of competitions.

His first strike came when he he showed more desire than the Real defence when he steered home a fine cross from Kieran Trippier inside the box. Dele’s second saw the England international dodge two Casemiro challenges before his shot deflected off Sergio Ramos into the back of the net.

After the fantastic win, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino highlighted just how important Alli is to this Spurs side:

“[It’s] fantastic to feel like I told you yesterday that [his form] is coming and start to feel that he is getting better and better every day, and of course we need him to be at his best and try to achieve the things that we want to achieve.”

It was a stunning individual performance from Alli and it reminded me of the time Gareth Bale destroyed Inter Milan in a Spurs jersey. Bale eventually left the White Hart Lane club for last night’s opponents, so I’d expect that transfer talk of Alli moving to the Bernabeu will only intensify come next summer if he carries on in this trajectory.

Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy might have to break his club’s wage structure to keep predators away from his prized assets, which certainly includes Dele.

The attacking midfielder loves playing in and around main striker Harry Kane. The two enjoy a very good understanding and if Kane leaves the central position up-top, then Alli is usually quick to slip in and make great runs into the penalty area. That’s exactly what happened for the opening goal against Madrid.

The attacker is constantly on the move and he’ll run all day for his teammates. He’s also very smart with his movement and seems to find space at the right times. Even against Manchester United, when Spurs lost and were without Kane, Alli made intelligent runs and cause multiple problems for the United defence.

The great thing about Dele Alli is the confidence he brings onto the football pitch. Only two years ago he was playing with MK Dons in League One; yet now he’s swaggering around defenders in the Champions League, bossing Premier League fixtures and starring for England in important international matches.

That confidence shows when he has the ball at his feet as he’s able to dribble at opponents. He plays the game with a smile and a contagious energy.

Much has been made of his ill discipline and how easy it can be to wind the youngster up. He also seems to have a nasty side to his game, leaving his foot in on occasions. While he needs to try and manage that side of his game, he can’t lose it totally as it gives him a competitive edge.

In his thirteen club appearances this term, Dele has managed to get himself seven goals and one assist.

Finding the back of the net certainly hasn’t been a problem, he bagged eighteen strikes in England’s top flight last year. Not since Frank Lampard, has England seen such a prolific goalscoring midfielder.

Pochettino will obviously hope to see that assist stat improve. Last season Alli produced seven league assists and his Argentine manager will want to see his star man get ten or more assists this time around. The positive news is that the attack minded midfielder is at least creating chances for his colleagues.

His average passing success rate is currently sitting at 78%, and I think he’ll seek to improve that also.

Pochettino believes that Dele Alli will go on and keep improving this season. If he does then he’ll end the campaign as a top performer and he could be a key figure if Spurs continue to challenge for silverware.

 

Posted on November 2nd, 2017 by scott
Filed under: Article