Jamie Redknapp highlights worrying stat about Tottenham and Dele Alli

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Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-1 at home to Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.

Pundit Jamie Redknapp has told the Daily Mail that he thinks Tottenham Hotspur really missed Dele Alli against Liverpool – and highlighted a damning stat about his absence.

Spurs were looking for a response to their 2-1 defeat at Watford before the international break, but were outplayed by Liverpool at Wembley Stadium.

A rampant Liverpool side created chance after chance before Georginio Wijnaldum’s header just beat Michel Vorm, and a close-range finish from Roberto Firmino made it 2-0 after the break.

Erik Lamela did pull one back for Spurs, but Liverpool were worthy winners as they could have won by a greater scoreline having run Tottenham ragged throughout.

Spurs were poor, didn’t treat possession well enough and couldn’t really create enough going forward, as Dele Alli’s absence was notable, with the £60,000-a-week (London Evening Standard) star missing out with injury.

The England international had to pull out of Gareth Southgate’s squad due to injury and subsequently missed Saturday’s game, with Jamie Redknapp concerned about Tottenham’s play without him.

Redknapp has told the Daily Mail that he thinks Alli is a big-game player who can always be relied upon to make a different in a big occasion, with Harry Kane struggling without having Alli around him.

Redknapp also noted a terrible statistic, that Spurs have won just one of nine games Alli has missed, highlighting that they need other big-name players to take pressure off Kane and Christian Eriksen if Alli is unavailable.

“Tottenham’s defeat exposed just how much they miss Dele Alli,” said Redknapp. “He is a man for the big occasion, someone who pops up with crucial goals in the most important games. It does not surprise me that Spurs have won just one of the nine games he has missed.”

“Harry Kane’s main problem against Liverpool was not fatigue but the lack of supply from his team-mates. Dele is a brilliant link man who gives Kane so much service. Christian Eriksen tried to make things happen but without Dele to worry about, Liverpool were able to focus their attention on silencing the Dane. Spurs are just not the same without their big-game player,” he added.