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Alli Scores A Brace As Spurs Stuttering Manchester IRISH
Resist Bournemouth Comeback
Dele Alli continued his impressive
revitalization under Jose Mourinho as United Held To Draw EXAMINER
he scored twice in Tottenham’s 3-2
win over Bournemouth.
Alli, whose poor form and injuries |
over the last few months had seen By Aston Villa
him dropped from the England
squad, has rediscovered his star quality since Mourinho arrived at December
the club and bagged a goal in each half.
His brace made it three in three games, as well as two assists,
and he has been the figurehead of a Spurs resurgence under 4th,
Mourinho. 2019
Moussa Sissoko also scored his first goal in over two years as
Tottenham won their third successive game under the
Portuguese, who has brought the feelgood factor back.
Harry Wilson’s late double skewed the scoreline and gave
Bournemouth hope of an unlikely comeback, but Spurs were not
to be denied back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time
since April.
They are now just six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea,
who they still have to play twice, and there is a real belief that the
Champions League places are not so far away.
Bournemouth’s slide down the table continues, however, and
they have just one win from their last eight games. Jack Grealish puts Villa ahead with a curling effort into the top right corner
Having found his side 2-0 down after 20 minutes against a n c h e s t e r ance, as it was Grealish who and then bundling a shot wide,
Olympiacos on Tuesday night, Mourinho will have been hoping United squandered the stole the show by demonstrat- as the forward line fed off scraps
foramorestress-freestartbuthaditnotbeenforgoalkeeperPaulo Mchance to move into ing the absolute best of his tal- chasing long balls.
Gazzaniga they would have been behind inside the opening 10 Champions League contention after ents. However, a striker with 10
minutes. being held to a 2-2 home draw by It was an effortless display goals in his previous 11 matches
First the Argentinian scooped away Arnaut Danjuma’s shot AstonVilla. from the Villa captain, particu- for club and country does not
before parrying Diego Rico’s long-range effort. For a substantial period in larly in the first half. need many more chances and
Spurs eventually woke up and a lightning quick break saw Son the first half the visitors, who Everything he did was intelli- things become easier when
Heung-min close in on goal, but he dragged his shot wide. had lost 16 of their last 17 gent and instinctive, hanging opportunities come gift-
The hosts were in front by the 20th minute, though, as Alli con-
tinued his fine start under Mourinho. matches against established top- out on the left and then drifting wrapped.
six opponents, controlled pro-
Misjudgements from Mings,
inside with purpose, intent and
He was the beneficiary of some fine work from Toby ceedings with a game plan cen- a genuine threat. in delaying his clearance, and
Alderweireld and Son, whose perfect touch from the defender’s tered around the influential Jack On the occasions when Heaton, having to concede a
long ball allowed Alli to roll the ball into an empty net. Grealish. United’s players could get near corner to avoid sliding out of
Spurs thought it was 2-0 five minutes later when Davinson
Villa’s captain scored the
Sanchez fired home a loose ball from a corner, but the ball acci- opener and presented all man- him they could only foul but the the area with the ball in his
hands, allowed Pereira to swing
goal he scored was brilliant in its
dentally hit his hand in the build-up and it was chalked off. ner of problems before Marcus execution, even if the apparent over a cross for Rashford’s head-
There was another handball in the box shortly before half-time, Rashford forced an own goal ease with which he skipped past er to hit the far post and go in off
this time from Cherries skipper Steve Cook as he handled Alli’s from goalkeeper Tom Heaton Andreas Pereira was something the goalkeeper.
cross, but VAR somehow decided not to review it and the visitors minutes before the interval. of a concern. United finally turned up for
escaped. When Victor Lindelof put Having collected an 11th- the second half with a weaving
Howe’s side could not handle Alli’s movement and they fell 2- United ahead midway through minute cross from Anwar El run from the previously anony-
0 behind five minutes after the restart. the second half, coming from Ghazi, who injured himself in mous Anthony Martial forcing
It was another brilliant ping by Alderweireld, whose pinpoint behind to take the lead for the the process and took no further Heaton into a reflex save, with
ball was controlled by Alli, who held off the opposition defense to second successive Premier part, he cut back onto his right Juan Mata’s penalty claim
clip home. League match, that should have foot and curled a delightful shot turned down in the same attack.
Alli had the chance to complete a hat-trick when a surging been the signal for them to see over David De Gea and into the The game appeared to
breakaway, led by Sissoko, saw the ball fall to him at the far post, out the game. top corner. change in the space of 60 sec-
but he curled over. But, just like last weekend at The 24-year-old has now onds as a sliding Grealish failed
Spurs were not to be denied a third, though, and in the 69th
minute the crowd were treated to a real collector’s item. Sheffield United, Ole Gunnar been directly involved in seven to properly connect with
Trézéguet’s deflected pass at
Premier League goals this sea-
Solskjaer’s side conceded an
Son was played in down the left and he picked out Sissoko, equalizer, with Tyrone Mings son (three goals and four one end and Lindelof headed
who acrobatically hooked the ball in from close range for his first volleying home just four min- assists), the most of any English home Fred’s cross at the other.
goal since October 2017. utes later as they lost the initia- midfielder. But the lead lasted less than
Mourinho has found he has no problems at the top of the pitch,
Even the loss of El Ghazi
but at the other end they have still looked suspect and they were tive. failed to halt Villa’s progress as four minutes as Matt Targett’s
So instead of reaching their
chipped pass caught Brandon
denied a clean sheet by a fine goal. highest position since mid- his replacement Trézéguet Williams hanging back as the
Wilson curled in a beautiful free-kick off the underside of the September, which would have forced the ball over the line in a United raced out defending a
crossbar in the 79th minute to give the visitors hope. put them within six points of goalmouth scramble – again short free-kick and Mings, along
They got a second deep into stoppage time when Wilson
swept home a second, and only a brilliant tackle by Jan Chelsea, United had to settle for created by Grealish – only for it with Trézéguet, was left alone
to be chalked off by an offside
a point which lifted them into
to volley past De Gea.
Vertonghen to deny Callum Wilson stopped them from taking a ninth. flag which had gone up a con- Martial somehow scooped
point. In truth they did not deserve siderable time earlier. over from three yards but their
The two late goals, which also happened at West Ham last victory, which would have Rashford had been one of the momentum had been interrupt-
week, will be a concern in what has otherwise been a perfect week papered over the cracks of few United bright spots of the ed and there was no recovering
for Mourinho. C
another directionless perform- first half, shooting at Heaton it. C