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5 Tottenham players that must step up against Sunderland

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Fabinho of AS Monaco tackles Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Fabinho of AS Monaco tackles Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Kamil Glik of AS Monaco during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Kamil Glik of AS Monaco during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

1. Dele Alli

Tottenham’s English starlet had a pretty eventful match against Monaco. He made the crowd ohh and ahh repeatedly, but never broke through with a goal. That needs to change against Sunderland.

I’m not one of the Tottenham fans who complains about Alli’s showmanship. I like a player with some creative flair, and Alli certainly fits the bill. My only issue is that he needs to increase the frequency of his flair leading to an actual goal or assist.

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Sometimes Alli just needs to be content with making the simple play or pass. Nutmegging the most defenders doesn’t necessarily help Tottenham win any matches. It can put the defense in a precarious situation, but it isn’t always the most direct route to a scoring chance.

Against the Black Cats, I want to see Alli strike a healthy balance between style and substance. If he does, Spurs will come out on top.

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