‘City are a fantastic team but they’re only human and we can hurt them too’
GIVE Dele Alli a training exercise that does not test him and the results may be disappointing. But if he is challenged to show what he can do against the best, it will probably be a different story.
Alli turned 22 this week and his statistics in the Premier League — 36 goals and 26 assists in 101 games — are more impressive than those of Cristiano Ronaldo at the same stage of his career. He tends to do it when it really matters, too.
Alli has scored 12 of his 44 goals for Spurs in all competitions against elite opposition: five against Chelsea, two against both Manchester City and Real Madrid, and one each against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
This term, Alli has scored 12 times in all competitions, with two apiece against Madrid and Chelsea and one against Liverpool. He also has 10 assists in the Premier League alone.
For a player supposedly having a poor season, it is pretty good going, and it is why Alli sees no reason for Spurs to be worried when they face City at Wembley tomorrow.
Notwithstanding their recent slump, which has featured two defeats by Liverpool either side of a home loss to Manchester United, City have been the outstanding team in the country by a distance. But Alli watched with interest as they were dismantled by Liverpool and said: “Of course that [the way Liverpool played] can work. City are only human, so they can make mistakes.
“They are an incredible team with incredible players all over the pitch but we are going to try to play our football as we always do.
“When you play against the other teams in the top six, as opposed to the teams in the bottom half, the game is very different. The other top-six sides really go at it, both teams want to win and there is a lot more space on the pitch. There is a lot more attacking play.
“Teams in the bottom half still want to hurt you and they have a lot of quality, but they are always more likely to sit deep and close the gaps between the lines. As a No10, that makes it much more difficult to get on the ball and create chances.”
L i ke P a u l G a s c o i g n e , Way n e Rooney or David Beckham, Alli is one of those players who always draws the spotlight, whether by accident or design. His quick temper and confident personality make him a target for opposition players and fans.
At every Premier League game this weekend, there will probably be at least one diving incident, yet Alli’s tumbles earlier this year attracted far more attention than others’.
Yet throughout the ups and downs, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has been ferociously protective of Alli. Asked recently why Alli has not been as prolific this season as last, Pochettino simply answered that his player was the best in the world at his age.
The compliment has clearly made an impression on Alli. “There are a lot of great young players around the world and I am still young. I am part of a great team and it is a joy to play here,” he said.
“There are certain people that when they comment, it means a lot to you, and then certain others that, when they say something, you don’t really listen to it. When the gaffer here says something about you or to your face, you really take it in and it means a lot. He is an amazing manager.”
Alli’s ability to deliver in big games, even when he may not be at his best, is what makes him so valuable, and Pochettino gave a fascinating insight into the former MK Dons player’s mentality in training.
Whereas Harry Kane is known for his desire to practise, practise, practise, it is the battle that really gets Alli’s juices flowing.
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