Is Tottenham's Dele Alli the best young player in Europe? WhoScored.com break down the stats that suggest the England international's brilliance.
When Alli curled in the opener to set Spurs on their way to a 4-0 win over Watford and maintain their slim title hopes, it was the England international's 26th Premier League goal of his career and his 16th already this season. It's a remarkable return for a player who only turned 21 on Tuesday. In fact, it's more than any other player aged 21 and under in Europe's top five leagues.
With Harry Kane only now returning from injury, Alli's fine goalscoring form is cause for optimism at White Hart Lane. Many believe him to be the next English hero and his exploits in front of goal have attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich for good reason. A WhoScored.com rating of 7.35 is better than any other midfielder of his age to make more than 10 league appearances this season as he continues to improve with each passing week under Mauricio Pochettino.
What makes Alli such a special player, though, is his ability to ghost into the opposition penalty area to test the goalkeeper. He could be enduring a torrid encounter, yet still have the means to turn a tie in Spurs' favour having bagged crucial goals against Watford at the weekend, Swansea in the week and Southampton and Everton before the international break. The never-say-die attitude is a testament to Pochettino's rigorous training regime, and the players are reaping the benefits.
Alli's ability to time his runs to perfection to ensure Spurs aren't short of options in the final third has understandably been compared to that of Frank Lampard at Chelsea - the Premier League's all-time top scoring midfielder. It's a vital quality for Spurs, particularly as and when Kane is sidelined. Last season, Alli had 10 league goals to his name - a respectable return - but that was 15 fewer than Kane. When the striker was ruled out with separate ankle issues, Spurs could have faltered, but Alli has stepped up to the plate. This term he has netted just three fewer goals than Kane.
Indeed, of players aged 21 and under, only striker Timo Werner (52) has had more shots inside the opposition box than Alli (40) in Europe's top five leagues this season. His unwavering confidence means he boasts a hugely respectable conversion rate of 21.1 per cent, with that better than the likes of Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez and Dries Mertens, seeing the Spurs star gain a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'finishing'. Yet it's not just his goal-getting ability that has deservedly earned him the plaudits, but his quality in possession also.
He has made more successful passes in the final third (398) than any other player aged 21 and under in Europe's top five leagues this season, while 42 key passes from open play also ranks highly. It's little shock he has five assists to his name as a result, which is another very respectable return for the former MK Dons man. It means that Alli has been directly involved in more goals (21) than any other player aged 21 and under in Europe's top five leagues this term.
What's more is that he adheres to the wishes of his manager. Pochettino is a boss who demands his players press opponents across all quarters of the pitch, particularly in attack, where Spurs can rob the opposition of possession quickly in their pursuit of goal. Here, Alli impresses having won possession in the attacking third 16 times this season, one of the better returns in Europe's top five leagues of players in the aforementioned age group.
There are still areas to Alli's game that need improvement, but that will only come with experience and he looks to be in the right environment under the right manager to develop further. He is understandably one of the finest in his age group in Europe and undeniably the only way is up for Alli. Considering he only cost £5m - as Spurs fans will routinely testify - he has exceeded expectations and then some, with the youngster playing a vital role in the club's pursuit of a Champions League return and emerging as one of the very best young talents on the continent.