Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has hailed Dele Alli as the player who is driving Tottenham forward in the absence of Harry Kane.
The England international netted his eighth goal of the season for Spurs in the 2-1 victory against the Premier League's bottom side Norwich City last night, helping Tottenham to a vital three points in the battle for a top four finish.
The win moved Spurs to within six points of fourth-placed Chelsea with 14 games to play, with Tottenham now preparing for a trip to face Southampton in the FA Cup fourth round this weekend.
And Keown has heaped praise on Alli and how he has come into form at a crucial time of the season for Tottenham.
“We all realise Spurs aren’t flowing at the moment. The players are lacking confidence and belief," he said, speaking as a pundit on BBC programme Match of the Day.
"I think Jose [Mourinho] said in his interview players need to play with personality and character. That’s what Dele Alli did. Always on the move without Harry Kane. A player playing on the move and doing things off the cuff naturally.
"He obviously had an injury at the start of the season and he has come back into form. Spurs need him to fire. Spurs didn’t play well but what I’ve noticed over the past five or six games is that Alli has been the one, the leader who has been driving them forward.”
