In one of Tottenham’s most effective displays of last season, their utter dismantling of Chelsea at Wembley in November 2018 really showcased the best of Dele Alli. The England international was in inspired form, helping his side record a dominant 3-1 win over Maurizio Sarri’s side. But whilst his goal contributions were a major plus, the real success of his performance came in the way he completely overwhelmed Jorginho in the middle of the park.
The Italian maestro tried to dictate the game for the Blues, but was constantly swarmed by Spurs’ high press, with Alli leading the charge for the north Londoners. And speaking after the game, the 23-year-old himself admitted that it was in the game-plan all along.
Watch Spurs vs Brighton Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day
“They’ve had a new manager come in, they’ve been performing very well, and he’s (Jorginho) a big part of them playing out from the back and dominating possession. He’s obviously a very good player and likes getting on the ball, and we knew that. We thought we could stop that. We wanted to win the ball high up the pitch, so I was as close to him as possible to make sure we won the ball up high, broke early and created the chances we did.” The Guardian
And when looking at the underlying numbers of his goal-scoring performance, it is easy to see why the Spurs man was so crucial to the win. As per Sofascore, his two big chances created displayed his creativity, but the fact he won six total duels and made two tackles showed his willingness to carry out the pre-game strategy. Jorginho in contrast won just one duel out of his nine in total, and his 6.3 match rating was the second-worst of any Chelsea player on the pitch.
So when the two sides face off at the weekend, Alli will need to tap into the hallmarks of last year’s Chelsea performance to ensure the result stays the same. Whilst the Blues’ manager has changed, Jorginho has remained a vital cog in the Stamford Bridge side’s midfield, averaging an impressive 71.3 passes per game at an accuracy of 88.1%.
Spurs die-hards are getting 70% on this Ultimate Tottenham Quiz. Can you beat them?
If Spurs’ attacking midfielder can stay on him and hound him like he did in the previous campaign, Jose Mourinho’s side could have a real chance of success. He has done it once before, now it’s the perfect time for him to show he can do it again.
Meanwhile, this declining Spurs ace could be in for a rude awakening in the derby clash against Chelsea.