Dele Alli scored twice as Tottenham claimed a 3-2 Premier League victory over Bournemouth to maintain their winning start under new head coach Jose Mourinho.
Tottenham beat West Ham and Olympiacos in Mourinho’s first two matches and were good value for their latest triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, despite another late collapse.
Alli scored in either half to give the hosts a two-goal advantage, which Moussa Sissoko added to with his first league goal in his past 69 appearances.
Harry Wilson pulled two goals back for Bournemouth – a concerning repeat of the tense finale against West Ham for Mourinho – but Tottenham held on for back-to-back league wins for the first time since April to climb to fifth, six points off a Champions League place.
Tottenham made a slow start but took the lead after 21 minutes through Alli, who slotted the ball underneath Aaron Ramsdale after being teed up by Son Heung-min’s first-time pass.
The hosts thought they had a second goal five minutes later when Davinson Sanchez fired home a loose ball, but he was adjudged by the VAR to have handled as he inadvertently blocked Sissoko’s shot before finishing.
Spurs were frustrated by the officials again before half-time, with no penalty awarded when Steve Cook appeared to handle as he slid to block Alli’s cutback.
But they did double their lead early in the second half thanks to Alli’s calm finish after chesting down Toby Alderweireld’s long pass, shrugging off Jack Stacey and slotting past Ramsdale.
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Alli had a glorious chance to round off his hat-trick before the hour, only to blast over the crossbar as Sissoko’s scuffed shot fell into his path.
Sissoko then volleyed in Son’s cross to round off a fine Spurs move, but Wilson pulled one back with an impressive 25-yard free-kick to maintain his burgeoning set-piece reputation.
Wilson netted again in the sixth minute of added time, firing in from 10 yards to set up a nervy finish, but it was not enough to deny Mourinho a winning home league start.
What does it mean? Spurs on the up under Mourinho
Three games for Mourinho, three wins for Mourinho. Tottenham are now firmly in the top-four chase again thanks to back-to-back victories.
Also assured of a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a game to spare, positivity has returned to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – even if defensive problems persist.
Alli back to his best
Mourinho told Alli to “play like Dele” after an underwhelming spell under predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, and the midfielder has responded in style over the past week.
He scored twice in a Premier League game for the first time since April 2018, with Alderweireld playing a big part in both goals, executing defence-splitting passes over the top.
Stacey shrugged off too easily
Bournemouth defender Stacey should have done far more to prevent Alli scoring a second goal, having also dropped off to play Son onside in the build-up to the hosts’ opener.
Key Opta Facts
– Tottenham have registered back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season, last doing so in April this year.
– Bournemouth have lost three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since December 2018 (a run of four).
– Alli has been directly involved in three goals in his two Premier League games for Tottenham under Mourinho (2 goals, 1 assist), as many as he managed in his last 12 under Pochettino.
– Sissoko scored for the first time in 69 Premier League appearances for Tottenham, since netting against Huddersfield in September 2017.
– No player has scored more goals from outside the box (3, level with James Maddison) or from direct free-kicks (2, level with Riyad Mahrez) in the Premier League this season than Bournemouth’s Wilson.
– Since the start of last season, Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma has picked up 18 yellow cards in the Premier League, more than any other player.
Tottenham travel to Mourinho’s former side Manchester United on Wednesday, while Bournemouth head to Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
