SPEAKING ON SKY Sports’ Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher likened Dele Alli’s performance and his second goal in particular to Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle.
Yet the young midfielder, who has just turned 20, is surely more reminiscent of another former England international — Frank Lampard.
And also as with Lampard, he is not a classic creative midfielder. Instead, his game is about tackling and scoring goals (he’s now managed 10 in the Premier League this season), more so than linking up the play and controlling the game.
Alli can have quiet periods where he’s out of the game, but will all of a sudden burst into life and pop up in the perfect position to make the difference, and against Mark Hughes’ side, he gave a perfect illustration of his talents. His first goal was set up by a beautiful first touch and a clinical finish, while his second was a masterfully executed volley on the edge of the area. It was probably enough to make most people forget about a dreadful open-goal miss in between these two excellent strikes.
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Consequently, Alli’s uncanny ability to be so frequently in the right place at the right time means he undoubtedly has the ability to emulate the Chelsea legend, and provided the hype doesn’t go to his head, you can expect to see him regularly star in the Premier League for many more years to come.
2. Shay Given gets Euro 2016 boost
There was one big positive in Monday night’s clash from an Irish perspective.
After signing for Stoke in the summer, Shay Given finally made his long-awaited Premier League debut for the club.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t the best of nights for the Irish stopper. His side produced a limp display, typical of teams with little to play for at the end of the season, though it would be harsh to blame the Donegal native for any of Tottenham’s four goals.
But notwithstanding the disappointing outcome, simply playing will be a big boost to the Irish international goalkeeper who turns 40 on Wednesday, as he aims to be part of Martin O’Neill’s 23-man Euro 2016 squad this summer.
3. Leicester still huge favourites
As formidable as Spurs looked this evening, they still remain rank outsiders in the race for the Premier League title.
As the image above shows, Tottenham have some impressive stats this season, but the only one that really matters says that Leicester hold a five-point lead at the top of the table with four matches to play.
The Foxes need just three more wins to guarantee a first-ever Premier League title, and it’s a task they’re well capable of completing, as evidenced by the fact that they have won six of their last eight league fixtures.
Sunday’s game with Swansea is likely to be crucial, however. If they win, the dropped points against West Ham will seem like nothing more than an unfortunate anomaly. If they fail to secure three points however, then the pressure will really be on, as Spurs would have the chance to further close the gap at home to West Brom on Monday night.
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Dele Alli the new Frank Lampard and more Premier League talking points
Updated at 08.07
1. Dele Alli could be the new Frank Lampard
SPEAKING ON SKY Sports’ Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher likened Dele Alli’s performance and his second goal in particular to Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle.
Yet the young midfielder, who has just turned 20, is surely more reminiscent of another former England international — Frank Lampard.
Like Lampard, Alli — who scored a superbly taken brace against Stoke on Monday evening — is a phenomenal athlete capable of playing the role of a box-to-box midfielder with aplomb.
And also as with Lampard, he is not a classic creative midfielder. Instead, his game is about tackling and scoring goals (he’s now managed 10 in the Premier League this season), more so than linking up the play and controlling the game.
Alli can have quiet periods where he’s out of the game, but will all of a sudden burst into life and pop up in the perfect position to make the difference, and against Mark Hughes’ side, he gave a perfect illustration of his talents. His first goal was set up by a beautiful first touch and a clinical finish, while his second was a masterfully executed volley on the edge of the area. It was probably enough to make most people forget about a dreadful open-goal miss in between these two excellent strikes.
Consequently, Alli’s uncanny ability to be so frequently in the right place at the right time means he undoubtedly has the ability to emulate the Chelsea legend, and provided the hype doesn’t go to his head, you can expect to see him regularly star in the Premier League for many more years to come.
2. Shay Given gets Euro 2016 boost
There was one big positive in Monday night’s clash from an Irish perspective.
After signing for Stoke in the summer, Shay Given finally made his long-awaited Premier League debut for the club.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t the best of nights for the Irish stopper. His side produced a limp display, typical of teams with little to play for at the end of the season, though it would be harsh to blame the Donegal native for any of Tottenham’s four goals.
But notwithstanding the disappointing outcome, simply playing will be a big boost to the Irish international goalkeeper who turns 40 on Wednesday, as he aims to be part of Martin O’Neill’s 23-man Euro 2016 squad this summer.
3. Leicester still huge favourites
As formidable as Spurs looked this evening, they still remain rank outsiders in the race for the Premier League title.
In fact, it would take a Jordan Spieth-esque collapse for Leicester to lose the title at this late stage.
As the image above shows, Tottenham have some impressive stats this season, but the only one that really matters says that Leicester hold a five-point lead at the top of the table with four matches to play.
The Foxes need just three more wins to guarantee a first-ever Premier League title, and it’s a task they’re well capable of completing, as evidenced by the fact that they have won six of their last eight league fixtures.
Sunday’s game with Swansea is likely to be crucial, however. If they win, the dropped points against West Ham will seem like nothing more than an unfortunate anomaly. If they fail to secure three points however, then the pressure will really be on, as Spurs would have the chance to further close the gap at home to West Brom on Monday night.
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