The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder started from the bench against Monaco last night.
Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele in action with Monaco’s Tiemoue Bakayoko and Bernardo Silva
Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League campaign did not get off to the start they would have liked yesterday evening.
They were defeated by French league leaders Monaco at Wembley in a game they would have wanted and expected to win.
Goals from Bernardo Silva and Thomas Lemar did the trick for Monaco, despite Toby Alderweireld scoring with a powerful header just before half-time.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli applauds fans after the game
It was a game which Mousa Dembele could have played for Spurs. The Belgian has been suspended for the start of the season after his antics in the infamous Chelsea brawl last term.
But he was left on the bench and one former Tottenham midfielder believes it was a strange selection.
Danny Murphy, who played with Dembele at Fulham, told talkSPORT this morning (15/09/16) that the Belgian should have started – giving Dele Alli more attacking presence:
“It was a strange selection that.
“I think last season was probably the best in his career, in terms of his consistency.
“The stats of winning with or without him in the side are complete evidence of that. Also there’s a stat of Kane’s goal-scoring in the side when he plays and when he doesn’t. I think that is just a case of them being better when he is in the team.
“They looked much better when Dembele was on and Dele Alli was released to go forward.”
Tottenham certainly improved when Dembele entered the fray and there is little doubt that Alli is much better in a more advanced position in midfield.
Danny Murphy at Tottenham Hotspur
It is a dilemma that Mauricio Pochettino currently has to negotiate, who to play in midfield and where.
Finding the right formula at the right times might be the difference this term.
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