DELE ALLI’S brother stayed away and the real McCoy kickstarted Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham regime.
Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane scored the goals but it was Alli, heeding his new manager’s very public call to arms, who truly led the charge.
Dele Alli was back to his best in Jose Mourinho’s first game in chargeCredit: PA:Press Association
The all-action attacking midfielder, 23, who had once been at the centre of all that was good about Tottenham and England, was back.
Alli played a crucial role in both first-half goals, slipping the ball to Son to fire through hapless West Ham goalkeeper Roberto and then improvising superbly on the touchline to send the South Korean free to cross for Moura.
But the England man’s all-round game was impressive, too.
He was pressing, linking play and, when there was nothing else to be done, just working and running hard off the ball until there was.
His first-half energy and inspiration, and Tottenham’s finishing, were the decisive factors in victory over a West Ham side and crowd which failed dismally to rise to the occasion.
Michail Antonio’s goal and a stoppage-time strike by Angelo Ogbonna should not be allowed to gloss over the stain of the first 70 minutes.
If the majority of those on and off the pitch cannot get themselves up for a game like this from the start, then the Hammers – and manager Manuel Pellegrini – really are in the kind of trouble that their current league position suggests.
At this rate, the Premier League is going to lose two South American bosses with surnames starting with P in quick succession.
Even before Son opened the scoring, the away fans were singing, “No noise in your cup final”.
A chorus of “Is there a fire drill?” greeted the sight of some home fans leaving the London Stadium after Kane’s goal early in the second half.
Jose Mourinho would have been thrilled with Dele Alli’s performanceCredit: Reuters
And well before the end, the Tottenham faithful were telling Pellegrini: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.”
Tottenham, of course, had brought in Mourinho in a bid to bounce back from not really showing up for their own big occasion, back in June against Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Qualifying for that competition again next season must be Mourinho’s primary goal and a first Premier League win away from home since January was a good first step.
The signs were promising from the start, especially from Alli.
Inside three minutes, the axed England midfielder was on the ball and sliding a cute pass in to Kane, whose finish was excellent.
The timing of his run had not been so good, however, but the offside flag could not cancel out the good intentions. Soon afterwards, the same two players combined and the same assistant referee intervened.
Alli was trying to go through his full repertoire. One moment he was closing down an Issa Diop clearance, the next linking play with a simple pass, then lurking with intent as a Harry Winks free kick almost reached him in the six-yard box.
For all that, Tottenham’s were not quite gelling and their best effort was a Son shot that was made to look more dangerous than it was by comedy ‘keeper Roberto.
West Ham had been almost totally toothless though, and after Felipe Anderson had wasted a fine break unleashed by Noble, they fell behind.
Alli’s pass to Son was well-timed, but the South Korean’s single stepover reduced Issa Diop to a statue and Roberto should have made a better attempt to save it.
The Spaniard did keep out an Alli volley soon afterwards but he was helpless to stop Moura making it two.
Alli slipped on the touchline but had the presence of mind to flick the ball into Son’s path.
Into the box the Tottenham star surged before crossing perfectly into the path of Moura.
It would have been three before half-time if Roberto had not scrambled to keep out a looping Davinson Sanchez header.
But Spurs and Mourinho did not have long to wait for the goal which would pretty much kill the game.
The sight of Antonio warming up at half-time had raised the spirits of the West Ham fans a bit.
Then Mourinho wore a rueful look after Moura had dragged his shot wide after a trademark Pochettino-style break with Son.
But from their next attack, Spurs worked the ball out wide to Serge Aurier and Diop meekly allowed Kane to head home.
The West Ham defender redeemed himself just a bit with a last-ditch challenge on Kane, who had run clear of the home defence.
It said a lot about what a wretched afternoon it had become for the home side that the biggest cheer of the day was for Kane being poleaxed after blocking Aaron Cresswell’s powerful free kick with his head.
Alli was at the heart of everything good for Spurs against West HamCredit: Reuters
Was there hope when Antonio found space between Alderweireld and Ben Davies and rifled the ball home?
Not much, although Mourinho won’t have been impressed by the nerves and raggedness of his team for the last 20 minutes.
West Ham’s sudden intensity ultimately proved to be too little too late.
Declan Rice had an 89th-minute “goal” rightly disallowed for offside and Antonio almost forced an Alderweireld own goal before Ogbonna scored with virtually the last kick of the game.
Alli himself had come off with ten minutes to go to a chorus of boos. Coming from such bitter rivals, it will have been music to his and Mourinho’s ears. Job done.
Jose Mourinho asked Dele Alli ‘are you Dele or his brother-’ as he bids to get Spurs star firing again
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
