Will Dele Alli’s return to lineup cure what ails Tottenham?

Dele Alli is poised to make his much-anticipated return to Tottenham’s lineup for the North London Derby, but will his presence cure entirely what ails them?

One loss doesn’t constitute a crisis, no matter how devastating. After showing remarkable character to come away with a point at the Etihad, hopes were high going into the Newcastle match. To prove they are worthy title contenders, winning at home against a team favoured to make the drop was seen as obligatory. We all know what happened next.

Football, and particularly our beloved Spurs, has a cruel way of toying with our emotions. Spurs showed their obvious imperfections on Sunday afternoon in a disheartening display you’d expect from the pre-Mauricio Pochettino era.

Barring snapshots of cleverness from Son Heung-Min, Tottenham were particularly anemic in attack. Speaking of the affable South Korean, one expected his return would have buoyed the side. Unfortunately that was not the case. While Son was inarguably Tottenham’s most formidable attacking threat, his presence did not improve markedly the side’s overall efficacy.

Dele, who hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring in pre-season, is attempting not only to improve Tottenham’s offensive productivity, he is expected to spark his players into action, injecting inspiration that has temporarily waned.

While his return will undoubtedly add a distinct dimension that is currently missing in Spurs’ attack, Dele isn’t blessed with mythical healing powers. Pochettino recently said his team need to play with more desire, the gaffer clearly frustrated with recent happenings.

"“We didn’t play well and I’m very disappointed about our performance. We conceded a very cheap goal and then it was difficult. We created some chances but not enough. We should have played better, [with] more desire, more capacity, more aggression with the ball. To have 80% of possession is too much when you only have a few shot on target.”"

Hopefully the players took some time self-reflect in the aftermath of their abject 1-0 loss to Newcastle on the weekend. A loss to Arsenal, as the Independent suggests, will by no means stimulate a crisis, but it would cause some palpable unrest, both in plain sight and behind the scenes.

Two other possible anecdotes

Dele will provide his usual quality on the ball while creating more space for teammates, but he’s not the lone answer to the Lilywhites’ problems. There are, however, two other solutions that could catapult Tottenham to the level expected of them, one of which stands directly in front of them.

After tasting a conspicuously unpalatable defeat, there’s no better motivation than playing your most despised adversary. With a North London Derby on the direct horizon, Tottenham simply don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves. They will take solace knowing a win against the Gunners will almost completely eradicate the disappointment they currently feel.

Another solution, though one Pochettino might be too stubborn to action, manifests in the form of an out-of-favour Belgian. Jan Vertonghen is the type of leader who can single-handedly inspire his side, and it’s incumbent upon Pochettino to swallow his pride and do what’s best for the club.