In-form midfielder Dele Alli was on target again as Tottenham claimed an unlikely 2-2 draw at Manchester City.
Having scored seven in his past five league games, including doubles against Southampton, Watford and Chelsea, the 20-year-old found the net again as a lacklustre Spurs fought from two goals down to earn a share of the spoils.
Here Press Association Sport runs the rule over the England international’s evening.
POSITIONAL
Alli spent a lot of time early on further forward than even Harry Kane as he tried to latch on to any errant back-passes and apply pressure to under-fire City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. He drifted deeper and wide at times in an attempt to influence the game and broke into the box at the right moment to nod in the 58th minute.
ATTACKING THREAT
Spurs had not had an attempt on target before Alli found the net to make it 2-1. The England midfielder read his international colleague Kyle Walker’s thoughts and met the cross undetected before guiding an unstoppable header past Bravo. It was the only time he even got a sniff of goal, but it proved pivotal.
TEMPERAMENT
The knock on Alli is that he has a short fuse, a “naughty” characteristic that his manager this month said he actually likes. There was evidence of the inevitable frustration creeping in after City went 1-0 ahead when Nicolas Otamendi tried to stop Alli taking a quick free-kick. The defender was shoved to the deck by the Spurs youngster, earning Alli a caution in the process.
IMPACT
The last time Tottenham met another Premier League heavyweight, it was two goals from Alli that swung the contest in their favour. On this occasion he was more on the periphery as City dominated for the majority of the game – but it was Alli’s header that started the comeback.
