The final day of the season is fast approaching and it’s still all to play for on both sides of the table. Man City and Liverpool are battling for the title while Tottenham are in pole position to secure a top four spot and it is now between Leeds and Burnley who goes down with Watford and Norwich.
Everton are now out of the relegation battle thanks to a winning goal by Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the 85th minute, in a game against Crystal Palace they went on to win 3-2. It now leaves the Toffees four points ahead of Burnley and Leeds meaning there is no way they can go down.
At halftime, Frank Lampard’s team trailed 2-0 and had to change something to secure the crucial points. The Everton boss brought in Dele Alli, and what a difference he made.
READ MORE:Why Dele Alli hasn’t started for Frank Lampard’s Everton team since Tottenham’s transfer in January
Since his final move from Spurs in January, the 26-year-old has struggled to get regular playing time as he is sidelined for many games. This was not what the midfielder had hoped for, having left Antonio Conte’s side he also struggled to get in.
Just a week ago, Lampard gave his verdict on the midfielder. “If Dele plays his part in these three games then that’s great and he’s stepping up because sometimes he comes on and has done good things for us,” the Toffees boss explained.
“It’s part of the squad where we have other players who have played, that’s just the reality of the situation. He just needs to keep training hard and stay very focused and fight for the opportunity.”
Dele certainly played his part in Thursday’s game, helping to change the game completely and showing the quality that had been hidden for a while. After the win, match winner Calvert-Lewin was full of praise for his teammate and Lampard’s substitutions.
“The manager switched it to a 4-3-3. Alex Iwobi came in midfield and Dele was a forward-thinking player. I think that made all the difference in the end,” the 25-year-old admitted.
“I thought Dele was excellent when he came on. He had to wait for his chance and he took his chance at the biggest moment of the season. The change in the system was the big difference and we knew we had to score the first goal. ” and once we had that, it was a knock-on effect.”
Full-time, Everton fans were in a festive mood as they all rushed onto the pitch to celebrate at Goodison Park. After the game, Dele’s former teammate Steven Bergwijn shared a message from Sports Bible on Instagram congratulating the former Spurs man on his achievement.
“He’s had his critics all season and since he joined Everton in January, but Dele Alli was fantastic when he came on tonight. [Thursday]† From two goals on, he grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and pushed his team forward,” they captioned the photo.
Dele then posted it at his own expense with the caption, “Let them talk, what a night for the fudge.”
The 26-year-old has clearly endured the struggles and criticism, and his performance on Thursday reiterated the impact he can have on one side when given a chance in a position that suits him. While they won’t have to compete to stay on top right now, Everton will gain momentum and confidence in their final game of the season.
The Toffees travel to the Emirates Stadium to play against an Arsenal side still aiming to beat Sours to a top four finish. Dele has experience playing in North London derbies and although he has moved to a new club, the rivalry will certainly remain in the back of his mind on Sunday.
That’s what Conte and his side are hoping for, as another solid performance from their former midfielder can only give them an extra boost in their hopes of finishing in the top four. Spurs only need a point at Carrow Road, but that won’t be as easy as they’d hoped, as Norwich are hoping for a win in their last Premier League game.
“That’s our goal for the last game [to finish 19th]† We want to win at home because it’s been a while and we want to put in a good performance on Sunday and get something out of the game,” admitted Norwich’s Teemu Pukki.
Tottenham are at the wheel to secure their Champions League spot and so all eyes will be on them to take the needed point at Norwich, but what a final day of the season it would be if Dele Alli could score too against Arsenal.
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