'Best assist ever!': Tottenham's Deli Alli performs OUTRAGEOUS flick to set up goal as Mourinho's men beat West Ham (VIDEO)
by RT
‘Best assist ever!’: Tottenham’s Deli Alli performs OUTRAGEOUS flick to set up goal as Mourinho’s men beat West Ham (VIDEO)
Dele Alli provided the most memorable moment of the first game of the Jose Mourinho era at Spurs as he acrobatically flicked the ball to a teammate in a move which led to Tottenham’s second goal of the game.
Despite losing his balance on the touchline, Alli managed to prevent the ball from going out of play by flicking the ball away from West Ham defender Ryan Fredricks into the path of the onrushing Son Heung-min, who in turn squared the ball to Lucas Moura to slide the ball home at the far post.
Alli was also crucial the game’s opener, laying it on for the South Korean to score the first goal of the Mourinho reign in North London.
Alli’s form, or lack thereof, has been highlighted by fans as being central to the club’s poor performance this season which ultimately culminated in Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking earlier this week but the new man in charge, Jose Mourinho, will be delighted by Alli’s impact on the game after challenging the England international in the build-up to reverse his downturn in form.
Speaking to the media prior to the game Mourinho outlined Alli’s importance to the team and indicated that he has been hugely impressed by the 23-year-old so far in his brief spell with the club.
“I have already spoken with him and I asked him if he was Dele or Dele’s brother,” Mourinho commented. “He told me he was Dele. ‘OK,’ I said. ‘Play like Dele’.
“I think he is potentially a fantastic player. Now I have to create a tactical situation he is happy with, give him the right dynamics and prepare him physically well because he has had important injuries and he is not on the top of his form.
“But he needs to go through a process that will bring the real Dele back because the real Dele is the one who in the last few years has impressed us all.”
Spurs took a 3-0 lead at London Stadium thanks to first-half goals from Son and Moura as well as a second half finish from Harry Kane, but were forced to weather a belated comeback from West Ham as they pulled goals back through Michail Antonio on 74 minutes and Angelo Ogbonna deep into injury time.
But Spurs were not to be denied as they secured a first away win in the Premier League since January, and first win of any kind in the league since the end of September.
Mourinho’s men also rose from 14th to 6th in the table, at least temporarily before the teams around them play later on Saturday.
