Jose Mourinho gives his verdict on Dele Alli sideline tantrum
It was a frustrating night for Jose Mourinho. Leipzig not only defeated his Spurs side 1-0 but also grabbed the all-important away goal.
The same can be said of the players who looked disjointed without a proper striker upfront. One of them was Dele Alli. The midfielder had a game to forget. He wasn’t able to create anything of note as the game largely passed him by.
He was hauled off in the 65th minute along with the similarly ineffectual Gedson Fernandes. It is fair to say the 23-year-old did not take it well as he ended up throwing a bottle and one of his shoes in frustration. (h/t Metro)
By bringing on Erik Lamela and Tanguy Ndombele, Spurs showed a marked improvement and troubled Leipzig much more. Talking about the incident after the match, Mourinho commented that the player’s antics was him being angry at his own performance rather than trying to send a message regarding being hauled off.
“I think he was angry with his performance, not with me”
Mourinho also believes that his team fared better after the substitution and expects Alli to understand why he was taken off.
Alli showed an upturn in form upon Mourinho’s appointment and was in the thick of goals and assists. His form has since petered off, with him scoring just once in his last eight games since the spectacular finish against Brighton.
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A Timo Werner penalty was the difference on the night where Hugo Lloris played a key role in keeping the Germans at bay. It could prove to be critical come the second leg at Leipzig.
