{"id":1116489,"date":"2019-11-23T22:52:16","date_gmt":"2019-11-23T22:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1116489"},"modified":"2019-11-24T12:49:30","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T12:49:30","slug":"dele-alli-spurs-west-ham-mourinho-request","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/dele-alli-spurs-west-ham-mourinho-request\/","title":{"rendered":"How Dele Alli fulfilled Jose Mourinho’s pre-match request in West Ham 2-3 Spurs"},"content":{"rendered":"

You are only as good as your last performance and it seems Dele Alli is back to his very best, though for new Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho, this was no surprise.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I asked him if he was Dele or Dele\u2019s brother,” he told reporters ahead of their 3-2 win at West Ham. “He told me he was Dele. ‘OK,’ I said. ‘Play like Dele.'”<\/p>\n

https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7430941<\/p>\n

And play like his former self, which had many envisaging him becoming England’s next great midfielder, he did. To be fair, it was coming, there were signs of a turnaround in the final days of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign, but this felt particularly huge given recent events.<\/p>\n

Naturally, when a new manager takes over, everyone is determined to impress and Alli \u2013 who looked in danger of fading away earlier this season \u2013 was no different. However, when the new man in charge seeks you out personally, you know you’ve reached a crossroad.<\/p>\n

On his day, Alli is unplayable and offers Spurs so much in terms of goal contribution and defensive work. Tiredness could be a factor, considering how much he’s played for someone who doesn’t turn 24 until next April, but for today at least, the Milton Keynes-born footballer dug deep within himself to remind everyone reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated.<\/p>\n

A moment of sheer brilliance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nothing typified Alli’s mini resurgence at the London Stadium more than his involvement in the build up to Lucas Moura doubling Spurs’ lead just minutes before half-time. A streetwise footballer, Alli is no stranger to deploying a piece of ingenuity from nowhere, and he needed to after misreading Eric Dier’s pass.<\/p>\n

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Absolutely ridiculous from Dele Alli ?<\/p>\n

That is SO good! ??pic.twitter.com\/Hdr35KtH6n<\/a><\/p>\n

— TNT Sports (@tntsports) November 23, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n