What Dele Alli Brings to Spurs for the North London Derby

Dele Alli should see his first action of the 2019-20 campaign in the North London Derby against Arsenal, so what can fans expect from the him?

Dele Alli did not have the best 2018-19 season, missing a third of the 60 games Tottenham Hotspur played. To put that into perspective, Dele averaged nearly 49 games over the previous three campaigns, missing 13 total, or less than five per season. I say this because I believe injuries, more than anything else, impacted Dele’s performance last season. Maybe he can finally put injuries behind him. Admittedly, he’s not off to a good start on that front.

Dele has amassed 53 goals and 49 assists in 184 games over the last four seasons, an impressive total. Yes, his totals of seven goals and eight assists in all competitions were down last season, but he was also playing deeper more often as the team dealt with an injury crisis in the middle of the park. We also know Dele has a penchant for scoring big goals, and given the anemic play of the offence last week against Newcastle, Dele is surely going to hit the field Sunday in the NLD against Arsenal, so what exactly does he bring that can help Spurs come out of this malaise?

Dele’s passing creativity

Dele is a creative player at heart. His willingness to try a little chip here or a quick touch there can sometimes hurt to watch, often leading to a loss of possession. Other times, like his deft touch to Lucas Moura in extra time against Ajax, Dele’s ingenuity makes all the difference. And it’s these moments that make him an integral member of Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

It is Dele’s willingness to take a chance that makes him so vital. It is highly unlikely Dele ever will lead the team in passing percentage, but nobody expects someone of his high risk, high reward playing style to have a high succession rate.

Dele’s attacking runs

Given the injuries in deep midfield last year, Dele spent a lot more time playing in a number eight role than he did in the false-nine position he prefers. Some of Dele’s best work is playing off the back of Harry Kane, running in behind to create more space. Frankly they bring out the best in each other on the field, and we need to see a lot more of it this season.

If we force ourselves to recall the calamity versus Newcastle, can you ever remember seeing one of the midfielders make a threatening run into the box? What about a run over the top after one of the strikers held up the ball? I can’t remember seeing it. For all Christian Eriksen brings to the table in his cameo appearances, his style is often devoid of penetrative runs.

Whereas Dele, at 1.88 meters or six-foot-two for those in the US, thrives on playing inside the 18. Nine of his 53 goals for Tottenham – including four of his seven last season – were scored with his head. Those header goals, along with many of his other finishes, come from his deep, late runs into the box. Part of the problem last week was the lack of ball movement and square passing. Alli will help solve those issues immediately.

Dele’s attitude

Let’s face it; part of what we like about Alli as Spurs’ fans is the fact that he is on our team. If he was on Liverpool, City or Arsenal, we’d dislike him. If you’ve played football, Dele is just one of those players who likes to get under people’s skin. You love to have them as a teammate and hate to play against them.

It is exactly that accidental elbow, walk on your leg, flick off Kyle Walker attitude that Spurs have been missing for the last two weeks. While the point against City was rewarding, do you think Alli would have been content with our approach? What about last week, when no-one from the midfield took on anyone? Dele would have tried something to rally the troops, which the squad has missed dearly in his absence.

While I certainly don’t encourage any of Dele’s poor behaviour, sometimes a little naughty is what a team needs. Dele is Tottenham’s naughty, and it has been sorely missing as the team allowed Newcastle to nicely sit back and absorb a rather feeble attack. Alli would charge through those lines causing havoc, creating space and getting on the other teams’ nerves.

Bottom line for Dele, Spurs, and Arsenal

I don’t whether he will start, but I do know for certain he brings intangibles to the table nobody else does. Some creative passing, attacking runs, and a modicum of gall were all missing last week. Expect the Englishman to light a fire under his teammates’ bellies.

Let’s hope he plays and plays like the Alli of December 2018. He dominated Arsenal, creating a goal and scoring one in Spurs 2-0 quarterfinal victory over the Gunners at Emirates in the Carabao Cup, coincidentally his last dominant game. It might be too much to expect for him to come out of the gates like a trailblazer, but his presence alone is enough to inspire the side to better performances.