Dele Alli only made a cameo appearance in Wednesday night’s FA Cup victory over Newport, but he was still involved in a few notable incidents.
Within moments of his introduction, Alli found himself through on goal but could only clip the ball against the top of the cross bar.
He did eventually produce a moment of class with a trademark nutmeg that left a Newport defender red faced. You can watch it happen below.
Dan Butler’s own goal had given Tottenham a first half lead before Erik Lamela scored his first goal for 17 months to make it 2-0, which is how it finished.
It’s just part of his game, one of an array of flicks, feints, playing off the ball, finding space, etc., that distinguish some of the finest footballers we have seen. Watching old film recently of the legendary Stanley Matthews from 1950, there were similar light-on-his-feet qualities on display as other footballers tried to get the ball off him. And where, say, Ronaldo is fast but jerky in his movements, Dele at this early career-stage can seem to float past opponents, an important quality when he is targeted by those frustrated by his skill. He’s an elegant, creative player and is a joy to watch.