Dele Alli underperformed as Tottenham suffered a 1-0 defeat to Ajax in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash. The Spurs midfielder has struggled for consistency this season and put in a miserable showing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that led to him being blasted by supporters on social media.
Dele and eriksen,missing (again) tonight…Sissoko by far our best player tonight,made a huge difference when he came on..We still in it…need some individuals to stand up and make a difference… #THFC #COYS
— Sameer Bouri (@samkbouri) April 30, 2019
Dele and Eriksen 4 at best. The biggest disappointments on the pitch. #THFC
— Jeff (@JeffG15563) April 30, 2019
We really needed Eriksen and Alli to turn up today with the injuries we had. Felt like we were playing with 9 men at times. #THFC #SPURS #COYS
— Rups (@RupsC73) April 30, 2019
Eriksen, Alli and Moura seem to have not shown up. Son and Kane out they should be dominating anyone they play, put their stamp on the game. As for Trippier I give up. Credit where it’s due Sissoko was good. If we could put out 11 players with Rose’s ❤️ #COYS #THFC #THFCAjax
— Russell French (@russellfrench) April 30, 2019
If Dele Alli doesn’t score or assist within a game, you wouldn’t know he was on the pitch. #thfc #COYS
— Gary Lumley (@Lummers89) April 30, 2019
We're still in this tie. Son will cause their defence untold problems. Alli's form a real worry, but too many of our players were below-par overall and yet Ajax looked far from being the world-beaters they're made out to be. #TOTAJA #COYS #THFC #UCL
— Peter McNamara (@PeterMcNamara_) April 30, 2019
Against Ajax, Alli played a full 90 minutes, made 47 touches, 31 passes with 81% accuracy, created one chance, made one successful dribble, had three shots, won three aerial duels and drew one foul. The 23-year-old’s form has fallen off a cliff in 2019, but a lack of better options in the squad means Alli can’t afford to be dropped.
The England international has made 34 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring and creating 13 goals. Alli has contributed only one goal in the Champions League, hasn’t scored in the Premier League since January and has made just two assists since November 2018. Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t have any better options due to injuries problems, but Alli clearly needs a rest.
Tottenham travel to Dean Court to face Bournemouth on May 4. Spurs will seal their place in the Champions League next season with a win.
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