Dele Alli made a welcome return to the Tottenham Hotspur side this evening as he was handed a rare start for the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Stoke City.
But while Alli performed well in general on his return to the side, there was one moment in the game that did not please his manager Jose Mourinho.
With Spurs leading 1-0 at the bet365 Stadium, the midfielder tried a flick that failed to find a team-mate as Stoke broke and scored an equaliser.
It was to prove to be one of Alli's last involvements in the game as he was substituted 13 minutes later, with Alli showing his frustration after being hauled off as he gestured towards the bench after being replaced by Erik Lamela.
But Mourinho moved to explain why he was so disappointed with Alli for what he did in the build-up to the Stoke goal as he spoke to the media after the game.
"Yes. For me a player who plays in that position is a player that has to link and create and not create problems for his own team," he said.
"They got us in counter attack, so yes I was upset.
"First half we were solid. They didn't touch ball, have a shot, have a corner. Instead of killing the game we kill ourselves. After that was a moment we needed stability and attitude."
This was just Alli's 11th appearance of the season for Spurs, having found his opportunities limited under Mourinho this season.
Alli has largely been restricted to appearances in cup competitions, with his two goals for Tottenham in the 2020/21 campaign both coming in the Europa League.
The 24-year-old has only featured four times in the Premier League, and has been linked with a move away, with Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United among the clubs linked with a potential loan move.
