Team of the Season – Dele Alli

Dele Alli entered the 2015/16 campaign as a largely unknown quantity. Having joined Tottenham for an initial fee of £5 million from MK Dons in February last year, the youngster was loaned back to the-then League One side for the rest of the 2014/15 campaign before returning to his parent club last summer. After making his Premier League debut as a substitute in the season opener at Old Trafford, he soon established himself as a regular starter at White Hart Lane, and made his international debut against France in November, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win.

THE STATISTICS

Having notched his first Premier League goal off the bench in a 1-1 draw against Leicester in Gameweek 3, Alli was handed his first start in the 1-0 win over Sunderland in Gameweek 5. The midfielder started the season valued at just 5.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) but his price fell to 4.9 after only featuring as a substitute in three of the opening four rounds of matches. Largely playing alongside Eric Dier at the base of midfield at this point, Alli’s attacking output was limited, registering a goal and three assists in his next eight appearances.

After missing the goalless draw against Chelsea in Gameweek 14 due to injury, Alli was moved into the number ten role against West Brom, with Mousa Dembele dropping into central midfield alongside Dier. The youngster promptly found the back of the net in a 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns and would then go on to produce four goals and five assists over his next ten appearances, seeing his price skyrocket to 6.1 by Gameweek 27.

Alli then bagged a further three goals and four assists in his final eight matches of the season, with his price peaking at 6.3 in Gameweek 35 before a three-match ban for violent conduct brought his campaign to a premature conclusion.

He ended the campaign with ten goals, 12 assists and 17 bonus points – a hugely impressive haul given he made just 28 Premier League starts. Alli’s temperament can be called into question on occasion, though; in addition to his three-match suspension, he also picked up seven yellow cards in the top-flight.

THE PROSPECTS

Having taken the top-flight by storm, Alli will clearly earn a significant price hike in FPL – the youngster is likely to climb into the premium price bracket next time around, with a cost of 8.5 to 9.5 looking the likeliest scenario.

Bearing in mind that Christian Eriksen ended the season with more points (178 to 166) and a slightly better points per game ratio (5.1 to 5.0), there’d be no surprise to see the pair similarly priced in FPL, thus handing us a real quandary in the centre of the park.

Delving into the data, set-piece taker Eriksen sat third amongst midfielders for both key passes (a total of 114 was more than double Alli’s 55) and total attempts, with 100 to Alli’s 74. The Dane was first in midfield for efforts on target, with 41 to Alli’s 28, though the latter boasted more close-range appeal (40 shots in the box to 29) and, subsequently, a superior goal conversion rate (13.5% to 6%).

With many Fantasy managers likely to earmark Harry Kane for their three-man frontlines, though, it remains to be seen whether a premium-priced Alli will offer the same sort of appeal next time around. As evidenced by last season, despite finishing third amongst midfielders, Eriksen never rose more than 0.2 in 2014/15, with his initial 8.5 price tag deemed too prohibitive for most Kane owners mulling over a double-up.

Certainly, having scored 21 and 25 goals over the last couple of campaigns, it’ll be a brave Fantasy manager who goes without Kane, though his 2015/16 record without Dembele (one goal in the 11 matches without the Belgian in the first XI) is clearly a concern, bearing in mind the midfielder is banned for the first four domestic fixtures of 2016/17.

Alli’s central support role and threat in and around the box may well prove decisive in how we assess our options, though team-mate Erik Lamela could also be worth keeping an eye on, depending on Mauricio Pochettino’s transfer plans over the summer. The Argentine bettered Alli for both key passes (75 to 55) and efforts inside the box (48 to 40) in less pitch time, suggesting that if he can up his output, may potentially emerge as a cheaper route into the Tottenham midfield next time around.