Dele Alli ranks as one of the best stories in the Premier league over the last 24 months. The progression made by the 20-year-old from the lower levels of the English football into an international star has been quite sensational. Alli is clearly a first-team regular at Tottenham and it would take a lot of effort from other players to dispossess him from this spot. One of the greatest qualities of a footballer – especially at a young age – is not being led into thinking that they have arrived at the big stage.
It is easy for someone in Alli’s position to lose their way at this crucial stage in their career. Chances are that it may not happen with Alli, as the England international has shown tremendous maturity beyond his age. His latest self-criticism is a sign that Alli does not allow success to get to his head. Alli recently claimed that he would like to improve his finishing in front of goal, as this is an area where he lacks the most. According to the Guardian, he said:
“After the miss [against Leverkusen], it was important that I kept working for the team and doing my job. It’s all about being professional. You can’t be dwelling on mistakes. When things don’t go your way, you’ve got to keep trying to do the right things.”
After having made an introduction in the Premier League, Alli (rated as €80.3M by CIES football observatory) has been making an impact in the Champions League this season. It is his first season in the European competition and the lack of experience coupled with the superior quality is starting to take its effect on the player’s statistics. Alli is yet to score in the three group matches. The 20-year-old has never been known for goal scoring, but he would be extremely disappointed at missing some clear-cut opportunities in these three games.
One of his best opportunities to open the Champions League account came against Bayer Leverkusen a few days ago. The game finished as a goalless draw, but Alli had an effort that flew just off target from a Kieran Trippier cross. After having scored 10 goals last season, any young midfielder would be reasonably happy with the return. It is not common to see a 20-year-old midfielder scoring 20 goals per season, but it is precisely what Alli is targeting at the moment with goals in the Champions League.
One can be sure that Alli will be in the training ground practicing his finishing skills. Even though he has struggled to score in the Champions League, the midfielder already has three goals in eight league appearances.
The lack of goals from summer signing Vincent Janssen has only added to the issue. Spurs will be hoping to put an end the two consecutive draws – against West Brom and Leverkusen – with a win against Bournemouth this weekend.
