Tottenham’s game against West Ham on Tuesday marked the return of Dele Alli, with the England international keen to make an impression.
Alli was handed a one-match ban for a social media post about the coronavirus, which was adjudged to have breached the Football Association’s rules relating to race, colour or ethnicity. That meant he missed the 1-1 draw against Manchester United.
As a return to action goes, a home game against a struggling West Ham United would seem perfect. The Hammers are desperately battling against relegation and time is running out for David Moyes to prove he is the winner he declared himself to be when he was appointed.
Jose Mourinho opted to line up 4-2-3-1 against West Ham, with Alli operating in the hole. The game quickly developed a distinct pattern with Tottenham dominating the ball and West Ham eager to restrict the space in their half. It forced Tottenham to shuttle the ball from left to right in the first half, patiently awaiting an opportunity to present itself.
Unfortunately, it also gave weight to the idea that Alli can sometimes be a passenger in games. The 24-year-old managed just 18 passes during the first half, with only one reaching the penalty area (source: Statszone). Too often he remained static in the final third, instead of trying to force overloads and take advantage of the freedom the number 10 role offers.
He did try three dribbles, but all three were unsuccessful, and when it came to shots, it was a similar tale of frustration, with both attempts going wide of the goal. The second half did see Alli register a chance created, but there was even less influence on the general play, with Alli forced to receive the ball in an even deeper position (perhaps some of the blame for that rests on his teammates).
By the 59th minute, Mourinho had seen enough and removed Alli in favour of Erik Lamela. Spurs continued to toil before eventually taking the lead in the 64th minute through a Tomas Soucek own goal. The lead was doubled in the 82nd when Alli’s replacement Lamela started a move that finished with Harry Kane racing through to score.
The Hammers suffered another defeat, and while Mourinho will celebrate a win, he would be right to be concerned about Alli. The midfielder is undoubtedly talented, but finding his best role remains a challenging puzzle.
This season does not represent his worst in the Premier League (that was last season), but he still seems some way from the heights he hit when he joined the club.
