Premier League 2019/20: Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 Bournemouth, 5 Talking Points
Tottenham Hotspur defeated Bournemouth 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to move into 5th position in the Premier League. This was Jose Mourinho’s third win in a row since taking over at Spurs, although he won’t have been happy with his side letting in two goals after going 3-0 up for the second time in as many Premier League games.
Spurs took the lead in the first half through a nice finish from Dele Alli, and then doubled it in the second, again through Alli, who showed some tremendous skill to control a long ball from Toby Alderweireld before clipping it over Aaron Ramsdale and into the net.
Moussa Sissoko’s volley appeared to have sealed the points in comfortable fashion for Tottenham, but a free-kick from Harry Wilson brought Bournemouth back into the game, and the Welsh youngster then added a second for the Cherries, who pushed hard for an equaliser that never came.
Here are 5 talking points from today’s game.
#1 Has Mourinho fixed Dele Alli?
Just a few weeks ago it felt like Dele Alli was in danger of becoming a case of wasted potential at Tottenham, as, despite scoring goals against Watford and Everton, he wasn’t producing anywhere near the same kind of form that he was when he burst onto the scene back in 2014/15.
But while it’s still early days, since the arrival of Jose Mourinho, the attacking midfielder looks like he’s back to his best.
The game against West Ham last weekend saw Alli perform well in the first half before fading in the second, while the midweek win over Olympiacos saw him struggle in the first and then pick it up in the second.
Today, however, Alli was great from start to finish, buzzing around in dangerous areas throughout the game, and it felt like every meaningful Spurs attack involved him.
His goals were wonderfully taken – the first a result of him being in exactly the right place at the right time, and the second almost reminiscent of his famous goal at Stamford Bridge; incredible control and a cool finish following a long ball over the top.
It feels like the “real” Dele is back, just a week after Mourinho questioned whether he’d been replaced by his brother. And that’s a welcome sight for any Tottenham fan.
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