On Tuesday UEFA announced that the European Championships were to be moved back a year to 2021 and while that might play havoc with the fixture congestion, it does benefit Tottenham Hotspur star, Dele Alli. The Englishman has been suffering from indifferent form this season and has shown outstanding glimpses of what he is capable of but not for sustained periods. As a result, he was also axed from Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for the final qualifying matches against Montenegro and Kosovo. But given the postponement, now he has a chance to fight his way back into the starting eleven.
In the ten matches Alli featured in this term while Mauricio Pochettino was still in charge at Spurs, the playmaker scored two and assisted just one goal, as per WhoScored. However, the 23-year-old hit a purple patch when the Portuguese boss took the helm of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium scoring five and assisting three in the space of just eight matches. Alli was in scintillating form around this time, and it appeared his partnership with Mourinho could see the playmaker flourish, but he has not been able to sustain that momentum.
In the 17 appearances Alli, valued at £72m (Transfermarkt), has made since his incredible spike in form, the central midfielder has plummeted back to his pre-Mourinho levels this season, scoring twice and assisting once, as per WhoScored. He has not been helped by the loss of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, but when the responsibility was placed on Alli’s shoulders to get Spurs back to winning ways, the 23-year-old has wilted under the pressure. He has not tasted victory in his last six matches with Tottenham Hotspur, and there was a dour mood surrounding the club as they crashed out of the Champions League, and FA Cup before Premier League action was postponed.
There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty surrounding what football’s future will hold, but the extra time to the major international tournament certainly works in Alli’s favour. The 37 cap England international has been given a second chance to book his plane ticket to the European Championships, and with stiff competition for places, he cannot afford to let it slip from his grasp.
