Tottenham Hotspur fans didn’t have an awful lot to shout about on Wednesday evening as Jose Mourinho made his first return to Old Trafford and promptly saw his side put in a very poor performance to take him to his first defeat following his arrival as Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement.
Although it inevitably became nothing more than a consolation strike, Dele Alli’s effort to tie the game back up at 1-1 for a period was certainly a highlight.
With Alli’s form seeing a significant turn since Mourinho arrived, it’s not just praise from the fans that has gone his way in recent matches, Sky Sports pundits have also been in on the game, and following his effort in the 39th minute, Paul Merson was absolutely raving about him in their Soccer Special coverage on the night.
“What a goal. This is an unbelievable goal – Alli flicks it over two players and volleys it. It’s an unbelievable football goal. It’s a phenomenal goal. Very, very special from Alli. He just needed someone to go in there and tell him what he used to do. Dele Alli’s game is about getting in the box and scoring goals. Exactly what happened on Saturday. Perfect goal the second one, makes the run, chests it and great finish. That’s Dele Alli. That’s what got him into the England team and the move from MK Dons. And that’s what made him a big star that everybody was after – he is a good finisher. When you see this goal, it’s a special goal.”
With the 23-year-old having six goals and two assists for the season so far, it’s a marked improvement with four of those goals coming in the last three games, and it’s understandable as to why so many think ‘he’s now back’ to the player he used to be for us.
Is Alli Back To His Best?
Yes
No
He's Improving, But Can Still Be Better
Previous Article:
“Not For Us” – It’s Mourinho That Has Changed, Not Spurs, When It Comes To Transfers