The midfielder has admitted that Spurs will miss their first-choice striker, but feels they have enough strength in depth to cope in his absence
Tottenham‘s run to the Champions League final is proof that they can survive without Harry Kane, according to Dele Alli.
An ankle injury saw Kane miss Spurs’ 4-3 second-leg defeat to Manchester City in last season’s quarter-final tie, which was enough to book their spot in the final four on away goals.
He was also forced to sit out home and away fixtures against Ajax in the semi-finals, as Tottenham pulled off a stunning comeback at the Johan Cruyff ArenA to qualify for the showpiece event.
Kane returned for the final against Liverpool, but Spurs ended up losing 2-0, with Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to play the England forward ahead of Lucas Moura widely criticised.
The Lilywhites have struggled to bounce back from that crushing European disappointment, slipping to eighth in the Premier League table after 23 fixtures of the 2019-20 campaign.
Kane has contributed 17 goals to the club’s cause across all competitions, but he has been sidelined until April after suffering a hamstring injury during a 1-0 defeat at Southampton on New Year’s Day.
Tottenham have only won one of their subsequent four fixtures, but Alli is confident that they can still achieve their goals for the rest of the season in the absence of a key performer.
“People always have short term memories,” the 23-year-old told reporters. “Look at when he got injured last time. Look what we did without him.
“We proved that it’s about the team, not a single player. Harry is a fantastic player and he would be a miss to anyone.”
Alli was speaking after a frustrating 0-0 with Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday, which saw Spurs fail to make up significant ground on fourth-placed Chelsea.
Mourinho’s men dominated possession against the Hornets, but Lucas and Son Heung-min struggled to affect the game upfront, while Alli also produced a below-par display before being replaced by Christian Eriksen in the second half.
When asked for his assessment on Tottenham’s latest performance, Alli responded: “Not enough runs in behind.
“Definitely not clinical enough. I look at myself first. I had that header and should have scored. The other attacking players may not be happy with the chances created as well, we weren’t creative enough.”
Spurs will be back in Premier League action on Wednesday night, when they play host to bottom of the table Norwich City.
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