Despite the widespread outrage and condemnation that greeted the idea of a third term for Presidents and State Governors, it’s reported that a committee has been set up to look into it.
I’m hoping that’s a lie and just a rumour that time will expose to be another ruse from the opposition. That being said, it’d be shameful and extremely undemocratic to have that ‘committee’ really sit.
How undemocratic; one might ask. It’d be undemocratic and a rape of our collective advancement as a democracy if we can’t let our constitution be absolute, but find ways to re-edit it to our taste as the situation demands. It’d have been a welcome development if the constitution amendment will be for the betterment of the country as a whole and not just to create a timeless opening for whoever wants to milk the nation for as long as he holds sway.
I do not believe it is true. I do, Infact, believe it’s one of the many lies that fly around social media. But, it’d be shameful, really shameful, if it happens. And, it’d definitely be met with stiff resistance from the masses; they’d better know that.
No man is greater than the constitution. There are defined terms of office for every public office holder. No one should seek to alter the constitution to make way for the entry of a dictatorship cum life-presidency through the back door. We wouldnt let this happen.
We are monitoring happenings at the National Assembly and we are keeping an eye on the leadership. History wouldn’t be kind to the 9th National Assembly if they, for selfish reasons, allow a condition that has saved the country from persons who believe they are born to rule to be abolished. Even the United States, as advanced as it is, has term-limit for Presidents and Governors.
It’s been said Nigeria will self-destruct. Time will tell if we let this happen to us as a people or we find a way to put our house in order by respecting our laws.
Rumours circulated about Joshua’s condition in the wake of his shock defeat by Ruiz at Madison Square Garden.
Word from his camp is that he has delivered some of the most impressive sparring of his career in recent days.
There is also a feeling that the additional sparring partners he has used – including Mexican Elvis Garcia to offer some stylistic similarities to Ruiz – have raised his level.
After speaking to BBC Sport a short drive from the hotel complex where both he and Ruiz are staying, the former champion was scheduled to work out for the second time on Monday at his training base, the British Embassy in Riyadh.
He is holding a number of late-night sessions in order to be ready for a fight that will take place around midnight local time, given the country is three hours ahead of the UK.
“I do feel different,” Joshua, 30, added. “I feel confident, I believe. I have been boxing since 2008. It’s almost like it’s been given to me. Now I am back to the days of being younger, striving.
“The question I have to ask myself is, ‘after the fight am I going to keep that same attitude?’ I have to stick to it and that is what will take me on to the next level.
“I am a challenger. This is my chance at the heavyweight championship of the world. The event starts when I am victorious. Then I will tell you about my story, what I have come through, the obstacles.”
Royal appointments, hotel gyms and a cool Ruiz
Joshua revealed he has sought advice from former world champion Wladimir Klitschko and wishes he had done so sooner, adding: “For someone who is going through success now, who is winning, definitely check yourself.
“I have had to check myself and reinvent myself not physically, mentally.”
Both fighters met Saudi royalty and a vast number dignitaries after media commitments on Monday.
It was striking how demand for Ruiz was far higher than before their first bout, where he stunned the sport by stopping Joshua inside seven rounds to take the IBF, WBA and WBO world titles.
Heavyweight champion Ruiz has enjoyed the wealth that has come with his success against Joshua
Ruiz, 30, appeared relaxed despite countless media requests. The Mexican is training at a custom-made gym set up underneath the hotel in which he is staying.
Many have questioned if he has remained driven given the rewards of his success, which have included a lavish new home, a Rolls Royce and high-end jewellery.
“I have been enjoying life. This is just the beginning,” Ruiz told BBC Sport.
“I sure haven’t stopped smiling. I have been so happy how my life has changed for my wife, my kids, my whole family. I am blessed with all that came my way.
“All of the pressure is on him, not on me as I followed my dream and made it come true.”
Sleepless nights and countless questions
Holding the contest in Saudi Arabia has prompted criticism because of the conservative country’s human rights record.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International has said the fight is being staged against a “backdrop of worsening oppression” in the country.
On Monday, promoter Eddie Hearn said the move “wasn’t just about money” and that the local organisers are on course to deliver an event that “could change everything” when decisions are being made on where future fights are staged.
The Diriyah Arena has been built in two months and has a capacity of 15,000
Signage and visible promotion in the country’s capital city is so far minimal but Diriyah Arena – which has been built in just two months – is expected to be full to its 15,000 capacity when Joshua and Ruiz walk to the ring at around 20:45 GMT on Saturday for a bout that will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing says tickets have been purchased by fans from 65 different countries and he emphasised how much is on the line given there is no rematch agreement in the contract this time around.
“No-one is tied in,” Hearn said. “I can’t sleep at night worrying about this fight.
“It’s all the questions that need answering. Was it a fluke first time? Was AJ prepared? Was it a lucky shot in the perfect spot from Ruiz?
“Joshua is a legacy guy, a historian. He is motivated by that term of being a two-time heavyweight champion. I really believe victory on Saturday will give him the respect that he is maybe secretly searching for.”
Mike Costello and Steve Bunce with Andy Ruiz Jr
A ‘different Joshua’ – analysis
BBC boxing correspondent Mike Costello
I thought we saw a different Joshua here than what we saw at the same event ahead of the first fight.
Yes, he was still laughing and joking at both ends of our interview but it was the content in-between that really struck me as him being a man who desperately wants that title attached to his name.
Eddie Hearn referred to that ‘two-time heavyweight champion status’.
Joshua is a man so engrossed in heavyweight boxing history and his place within it, he knows that Saturday night will make a colossal difference to how he is remembered.
Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday ordered the seizure of an aircraft belonging to Emirates Airline over an N8.1m judgment debt, according to BusinessDay.
The order followed a motion filed by Charles Mekwunye seeking the enforcement of a Supreme Court judgment in a suit between Promise Mekwunye and the airline.
Granting the reliefs sought by Mekwunye, Justice Mohammed Liman held that, “It is accordingly ordered that an attachment is hereby issued on the judgment debtor’s aircraft registered as ‘A6 Aircraft Type 77W EK: 783/784’, or any other aircraft belonging to the judgment debtor, which flies into Nigeria Territory, to be arrested and detained until the judgment debt is fully paid.
“If there is default after 30 days, the aircraft shall be auctioned to satisfy the judgment debt.”
The judge also ordered that Emirates Airline to bear the cost of maintenance and custody of the detained aircraft
Mekwunye, who was then a student of North Texas University, Denton, Texas, United States, had in 2008 dragged the airline to court for refusal of her two-way flight ticket from Dallas to Nigeria and back for no reason and for also refusing to fully refund the cost of the American Airline ticket she bought for her return trip to Nigeria.
She claimed that the airline offered no reason for its action, leaving her stranded for days at the airport until she was able to secure a more expensive flight ticket on a longer route to Lagos.
In a judgment delivered on November 15, 2010, the Federal High Court in Lagos held that the refusal of Emirates Airline to carry Mekwunye amounted to a breach of contract of carriage.
Consequently, the court ordered a full refund of the ticket without any deduction or charge and further granted N2.5m in general damages and N250,000 in legal costs against the airline.
At least five inmates were Monday morning killed and 10 others injured by a loose electric cable inside the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, Lagos.
It was gathered that those injured were being treated at an undisclosed hospital.
Although details of the incident were still sketchy at the time of this report, spokesman for the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in Lagos Rotimi Oladokun confirmed the incident.
He told The Nation that the Comptroller General of the NCoS Jaffaru Ahmed would brief the press at 4 pm on the incident.
Minister for Interiror Rauf Aregbesola earlier confirmed the electrocution through a statement by his spokesperson Jane Osuji.
“The attention of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been drawn to an electrocution incident at the Ikoyi Medium Security Prison in Lagos.
“The minister has directed a quick investigation into the root cause and the ministry will in the next few hours share a comprehensive update on the incident.
“While we commiserate with victims of the incident, the minister has ordered immediate medical attention for those affected.”
The 2019 recipient of the highly-prestigious Ballon d’Or award will be revealed tonight as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk compete for top billing.
Luka Modric was the winner last year to become the first person in a decade other than Messi or Ronaldo to be recognised as the world’s best player by France Football.
Liverpool star Van Dijk was heavily tipped to extend the dominant pair’s fallow period after his heroics in the Premier League and Champions League, though it has since been reported that Messi is in line for another milestone individual triumph.
Van Dijk was crowned Uefa Player of the Year in August, with Messi named Fifa’s The Best Men’s Player the following month. Will Ronaldo end the year empty-handed?
Here’s all you need to know ahead of tonight’s festivities…
When is the 2019 Ballon d’Or?
The ceremony is set to take place tonight from approximately 7:30pm GMT at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
When was the shortlist revealed?
France Football announced a 30-man shortlist in late October.
Who is in the shortlist?
1. Sergio Aguero – Man City
2. Trent Alexander-Arnold – Liverpool
3. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Arsenal
4. Alisson Becker – Liverpool
5. Karim Benzema – Real Madrid
6. Keviin De Bruyne – Man City
7. Frenkie de Jong – Barcelona
8. Matthjis de Ligt – Juventus
9. Joao Felix Atletico – Madrid
10. Roberto Fimino – Liverpool
11. Antoine Griezmann – Barcelona
12. Eden Hazard – Real Madrid
13. Kalidou Koulibaly – Napoli
14. Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich
15. Hugo Lloris – Tottenham
16. Riyad Mahrez – Man City
17. Sadio Mane – Liverpool
18. Marquinhos – PSG
19. Kylian Mbappe – PSG
20. Lionel Messi – Barcelona
21. Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus
22. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
23. Bernardo Silva – Man City
24. Heung-min Son – Tottenham
25. Raheem Sterling – Man City
26. Dusan Tadic – Ajax
27. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen – Barcelona
28. Donny van de Beek – Ajax
29. Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool
30. Georginio Wijnaldum – Liverpool
The 2019 Ballon d’Or contenders
Cristiano Ronaldo
After nine years at Real Madrid, Ronaldo moved to Juventus last summer in a deal worth £100million looking for a new challenge at the age of 33 and was named Serie A’s most valuable player 10 months later after winning the Scudetto.
Ronaldo finished as club’s top scorer in every domestic competition he competed in before leading Portugal to Uefa Nations League glory over the summer.
The forward scored a hat-trick in the semi-final win over Switzerland before captaining the final win over Netherlands in Porto.
Virgil van Dijk
Van Dijk is widely regarded as the best centre-back in the world, with the eyebrow-raising £75m price Liverpool for him in January 2018 now considered a bargain.
Liverpool have been transformed from a vulnerable defence to among the best in Europe, culminating with their Champions League triumph in June of this year after finishing as runners-up 12 months prior.
Such is his calmness in possession, Van Dijk went 50 games without being dribbled past between March 2018 and August 2019, which was key to the Reds’ agonising finish as runners-up behind Manchester City in the Premier League after winning 97 points.
Lionel Messi
Messi has another 12 months to celebrate but again found the game’s top prizes out of his reach. Barcelona won La Liga once again as Messi was the top scorer across Europe and provided the most assists in Spain’s top flight.
However, a semi-final second-leg collapse at Anfield saw Barca miss out in the Champions League once again as Liverpool scored 4-0 to seal a remarkable 4-3 aggregate win.
On the international stage, Messi suffered another semi-final exit as Argentina lost 2-0 to Brazil in the Copa America in July before beating Chile in the third-place play-off.
Latest betting odds
Lionel Messi 1/12
Virgil van Dijk 10/1
Cristiano Ronaldo 159/1
The first award was handed out in 1956, with Stanley Matthews beating Alfredo Di Stefano and Raymond Kopa.
A few days ago, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a comprehensive investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of a PDP women leader in Kogi State, Salome Abuh. To say that was a needless death is an understatement. Politics shouldn’t be a do or die affair.
Politicians put up fronts that claim they stand elections to serve the people; how far from the truth can that be! There are always hidden agenda. There are always things done in secrecy. The desperation to bring their secret counsel to pass drives them so hard they would hurt and kill anyone and anything that stands in the way. These things ought not to be. And it should stop.
The deaths recorded during the elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States were preventable and very much avoidable. Too many security agents were deployed to these states; that should count for something. The professionalism of most of these agents have been called to question. They have been accused of complicity.
Senator Dino Melaye released pictures of a particular man on social media. This man was pictured in many places in the military camouflage. He’s reported to have been one of the many fake policemen deployed for election duties; how long should we keep at this?
A man lost his wife. Four people lost their mum. Some persons lost their aunt. To some, she’s one thing or the other; would an investigation bring her back to be all of the things she was to any of these persons?
Good as it is for government to investigate cases of murder to forestall possible reoccurrence, the intent of government might not be as should they portray it to be. Can the APC-led government of Kogi State, in truth, deny not having foreknowledge of the burning of the woman in her house? We can’t keep deceiving ourselves.
The woman’s husband said APC loyalists had warned him of their their ability to harm him and his household when they deem necessary; they definitely wouldn’t be acting that boldly in lawlessness if they have no ally in government.
President Muhammadu Buhari must understand the king whose tenure is peaceful wouldn’t be forgotten. Ditto one whose tenure is violence-filled. Mere investigations aren’t enough. Punishment should be meted out to offenders, no matter how highly placed, to serve as deterrent to others.
Evidence of tax payment will be a condition for operating a bank account from January, according to the Financial bill passed by the National Assembly.
The Bill, submitted to the lawmakers with Budget 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari, is designed to improve financial operations of the country and streamline the tax regime.
It is expected to be signed with the budget before end of the month, to actualise the return to the January – December budget cycle.
According to a section of the Bill, banks will require anybody opening an account to provide his Tax Identification Number (TIN)
Those who already have accounts with banks will also be required to provide their TIN.
There are 30 million Bank Verification Numbers (BVN)-linked accounts.
The intention is to make sure that more people are captured into the tax net.
According to the Joint Tax Board, the tax identification number (TIN) is a unique identifier for an individual or a company for tax remittance.
The TIN is prepared by the tax office and issued for proper identification and verification.
Applying for TIN is free. The TIN generation process is real-time and should not exceed 48 hours after a request is submitted.
Another major feature of the Financial Bill is the hike in Value Added Tax (VAT) to 7.5 per cent from the extant five per cent.
Also in the bill, emails will be accepted by the tax authorities as a formal channel of correspondence with taxpayers.
The bill will also strategically “promote fiscal equity by mitigating instances of regressive taxation; reform domestic tax laws to align with global best practices; introduce tax incentives for investments in infrastructure and capital markets; support small businesses in line with the ongoing Ease of Doing Business Reforms; and raise revenues for the Government by various fiscal measures.”
Under the proposed Personal Income Tax Act: the bill will state that pension contributions no longer require the approval of the Joint Tax Board (JTB) to be tax-deductible.
The bill when signed into law, will remove the tax exemption on withdrawals from pension schemes except the prescribed conditions are met.
The bill will come up with a penalty for failure to deduct tax by agents appointed for tax deduction. This penalty is 10 per cent of the tax not deducted, plus interest at the prevailing monetary policy rate of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The conditions attached to tax exemption on gratuities will be removed by the bill, meaning that gratuities are unconditionally tax exempt. The duties currently performed by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) as it relates to administering the Personal Income Tax Act, will now be performed by the FIRS.
Another penalty that will come into effect when the bill becomes law will be the penalty for late filing of the Value Added Tax (VAT) returns.
The penalty for failure to register for VAT will be reviewed upwards to N50,000 for the first month of default and N25,000 for each subsequent month of default.
The penalty for failure to notify FIRS of change in company address will be reviewed upwards to N50,000 for the first month of default and N25,000 for each subsequent month of default. This penalty also covers failure to notify FIRS of permanent cessation of trade or business.
Similar to the VAT amendment, the bill is also introducing Capital Gains Tax (CGT) exemption on Group reorganisations, subject to the following conditions being met.
They are:
Assets are sold to a Nigerian company and is for the better organisation of the trade or business;
The entities involved are within a recognised group 365 days before the transaction, and the relevant assets are not disposed earlier than 365 days after the transaction.
The current practice is that companies send an approval request letter under CITA S29(9) to the FIRS, and include a CGT exemption request. Currently, the CGT Act imposes CGT on compensation for loss of employment above N10,000.
The bill seeks to expand the coverage of this provision by renaming it “compensation for loss” and increase the minimum threshold from N10,000 to N10 million.
That the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo isn’t having the best of times getting settled into his second term as Vice-President is no news. As much as his aides have stated and re-stated his loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari, even the blind can see something isn’t right. Or maybe the role of the Vice-President has been reviewed to ‘lighten’ his load.
The Office of the Vice-President has been ‘de-congested’. Key agencies and government runnings under his control have been shipped elsewhere. Most notable is the TraderMoni for which he travelled the length and breadth of this country, marketing President Muhammadu Buhari in the process.
While some believe he’s been punished for some of his actions while standing in for President Muhammadu Buhari in acting capacity, others believe he’s been persecuted for being a Tinubu ‘boy’. The Jagaban Borgu is believed to be eyeing the nation’s top seat and will most likely run come 2023.
Persons like Femi Fani-Kayode haven’t seized to attack the person of the Vice-President. He’s been called different names, coward being the least offensive. Should that be his lot at this time? Does the Vice-President deserve the treatment he is being given?
All of the times this Professor of Law stood in for the President, Nigerians have felt his touch of class and grace, combed with right and prompt decisions as to the day-to-day, and sometimes impromptu, runnings of government. His prompt sacking of the the President’s kinsman as the head of a key security agency of government is said to be one of his many sins. Not a few applauded him for his decisive decision to calm frayed nerves following the agency’s unprofessional conduct around the National Assembly.
The Vice-President may have been forced to the back, but we can’t forget in a hurry how much difference he made as Acting President. Most, President Buhari somehow got to overturn. But, we didn’t forget. As much as they claim there’s no Northern agenda, we can’t but think there is one. Loyalty shouldn’t be repaid with humiliation. It is unwise.
Arsenal can “100%” make the top four according to Freddie Ljungberg, whose first match as interim manager ended in a draw against struggling Norwich.
The Gunners, with the Swede at the helm after Unai Emery was sacked on Friday, have not won for eight games.
The result leaves Arsenal eighth in the Premier League, seven points off a place in the top four, while Norwich remain 19th, three points from safety.
However, asked if they can get into one of the automatic Champions League spots, the 42-year-old said: “Yes, 100%. Like you have seen, people drop points here and there and we drop points and it is a bit of a crazy league at the moment.”
While Arsenal started brightly, familiar defensive failings resurfaced as Teemu Pukki ended his eight-game goal drought with a shot that deflected off Shkodran Mustafi.
The hosts’ lead only lasted eight minutes though, with Christoph Zimmermann penalised for handball and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang levelling for the visitors with a retaken penalty, after four Norwich players had encroached when his original effort was saved by Tim Krul.
More calamitous defending allowed Todd Cantwell to re-establish Norwich’s lead, with the midfielder slicing through the Gunners defence and placing an effort into the bottom corner on the stroke of half-time.
However, Aubameyang again drew the visitors level, turning in a loose ball from a corner to ensure Arsenal gained a share of the points.
Arsenal have a number of issues that they will need to resolve before they can hope to compete for a Premier League title again, and the most pressing remains in defence.
The Gunners arrived in Norfolk having kept just two clean sheets in the league all season and left with the joint worst defensive record of any club in the top half of the table.
An absence of leadership or quality in central defensive areas appears a fundamental flaw and not one easily addressed in the short term by Ljungberg.
Arsenal have bought defenders in recent years, but none fit the mould of a Tony Adams, Sol Campbell or Martin Keown, who were known for being commanding and who seemed to enjoy nullifying their direct opponents.
For both Norwich goals, Arsenal’s current central defenders played a passive role. With the opener, David Luiz was not tight enough to prevent Pukki from turning once he had reached Kenny McLean’s ball forward.
The Brazilian and his defensive partner Mustafi compounded matters by standing off and inviting the Finland forward to shoot.
For Norwich’s second, Cantwell was allowed to run towards the Arsenal goal and Mustafi remained stationary as the England Under-21 international placed his effort into the far right corner from the left of the area.
On a trying afternoon for Luiz and Mustafi, Pukki was unfortunate not to add to his tally after turning the German inside out.
The duo were also thankful to goalkeeper Bernd Leno for pushing McLean’s effort on to the post after he had run through the centre of the Arsenal defence unchecked.
Canaries boss Farke says his side deserved to win
While Norwich may remain in the bottom three, they can consider themselves unfortunate not to have claimed back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since April 2016.
They matched the Gunners for shots on target and arguably had better chances overall in a performance full of energy, grit and determination.
Pukki’s willing running provided an outlet from which to launch attacks, while Ibrahim Amadou showed plenty of industry in midfield and Max Aarons was solid at right-back.
Daniel Farke’s side also appear to have been buoyed by the renewal of their first-choice central defensive partnership – Christoph Zimmermann and Ben Godfrey.
The solidity of that pairing was noticeable when the Canaries captain returned from injury at Everton eight days ago, and while the German conceded a penalty here he was otherwise excellent.
The 26-year-old read the game in exemplary fashion throughout and completed more clearances (eight) than any other player.
Man of the match – Max Aarons (Norwich)
Aarons was excellent in defence and attack for Norwich
‘Only winning that counts’ – what they said
Arsenal interim manager Freddie Ljungberg told Sky Sports: “We started the game really well, that’s how I want to play football.
“But we need to work on the transitions, we dominated and they break us too easily. In the beginning I saw a lot of things we worked on in training, but we need to score goals and take the lead. I want this club to do well, it is only winning that counts. I wanted to win the games so I am disappointed but I have also seen some positive things.
On the penalty incident: “From what I heard it was quite obvious, that’s what the results are for. The most important thing was for Aubameyang to have the mental strength to score the second penalty after missing the first one.”
Norwich manager Daniel Farke told Match of the Day: “We put a great performance today against a great side: one point against Arsenal is always a great result. But we deserved to take all the three points.
“In general I was not happy with the quality of the decisions, each and every throw-in or corner-kick was given against us. Also the situation that led to the penalty against us, it was never a free kick on [Granit] Xhaka.
“And to retake this penalty was also a strange decision, just because somebody’s foot was inside the area. There were some strange decisions against us. But also because of some top-class saves from Leno we have not been able to win this game.”
Arsenal’s worst run for eight years – the stats
Arsenal are now winless in six Premier League games (D4 L2), their worst run since August 2011 (also a run of six).
Norwich City have avoided defeat in back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time this season.
Since his Premier League debut in February 2018, Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored 27 goals in games played on Sundays – more than any other player has scored on a day of the week in that time.
Norwich City’s Teemu Pukki ended a run of 18 shots and 773 minutes without a Premier League goal, scoring his first league goal since September against Manchester City.
Arsenal have won none of their past 40 away Premier League matches when losing at half-time (D10 L30) since a 5-3 win at Chelsea in October 2011.
Dele Alli starred as Tottenham made it three wins out of three under manager Jose Mourinho, despite a Bournemouth fightback.
The result lifts Tottenham, who secured their first back-to-back Premier League victories this season, up to fifth in the table, while the visitors drop to 12th.
Eddie Howe’s side started brightly but Alli, who appears to be flourishing under Mourinho, was the catalyst for Spurs’ victory.
Toby Alderweireld’s raking pass created Alli’s opening goal, with the England midfielder racing on to Son Heung-min’s touch to tap the ball past Cherries goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Alli’s second came from the same source, as he superbly controlled Alderweireld’s pass before holding off Jack Stacey and flicking the ball over Ramsdale.
When Moussa Sissoko added Spurs’ third goal – with a close-range volley from Son’s exemplary cross – the hosts appeared to be en route to an emphatic win.
However, Harry Wilson’s introduction sparked the visitors into life, pulling one back with a superb free-kick.
The on-loan Liverpool midfielder reduced the arrears further six minutes into stoppage time, although it proved too little too late for the Cherries, who have now conceded 16 goals on their last five visits to Tottenham.
While smiles were in short supply towards the end of Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Manchester United, the Portuguese manager has started life at Tottenham with a cheerful and airy disposition.
With his proclamations of humility, celebrations with ball boys and decisions to deploy players into positions they favour, his approach has clearly had the desired effect.
His new employers have so far reaped the rewards, and this was the first time Spurs have won three consecutive matches (across all competitions) since April.
While this was far from a vintage performance overall, one player who appears to have benefitted under the new regime is Alli.
This game suggested he is not only back to his influential best as a playmaker behind Harry Kane and Son, but also as someone capable of making a considerable contribution in front of goal.
His first goal on Saturday was all about anticipation and timing, running adjacent to Son and ensuring he was on hand to deliver the simplest of finishes.
His second showcased all of his talents – running power, control, strength and the composure in front of goal to apply the deftest of touches under pressure.
While Alli was unable to register his first hat-trick for the club, it was still his first two-goal haul in a home game for Tottenham since January 2017 and ensured he received a standing ovation when he was withdrawn late on.
Same old story for Bournemouth
While Mourinho or Alli will deservedly take the acclaim, this all had a touch of deja vu for Bournemouth, who arrived in London seeking to avoid their third straight defeat.
Despite their attractive football, they once again struggled against one of the Premier League’s established top-six teams.
The Cherries have managed two away victories in 26 games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, both Manchester clubs and Tottenham – a miserable run that could have been made all the worse by a hammering here.
Frustratingly though for the Cherries supporters, their team came to life at 3-0 down, largely due to Harry Wilson’s endeavour.
The 22-year-old Wales midfielder, who was surprisingly omitted from the starting XI, signalled his intent with a shot on goal a minute after being brought on.
His trademark free-kick, which flew into the top right corner from 20 yards, ensured that no other Premier League players has scored more goals from outside the penalty area this season.
Man of the match – Dele Alli (Tottenham)
Alli had more shots and more shots on target than any other player
‘Alli has been phenomenal’ – what they said
Jose Mourinho speaking to Match of the Day: “I think it was in our best period when we scored the third goal. We were close to scoring the fourth and then when they scored the first one it was a different game.
“The boys felt a bit tired after playing a high intensity game, but we had the chance to score the fourth goal, but then in the Premier League the game is always alive. We played well for long periods of the game, we had a few scary moments but I think the fans enjoyed it. We scored seven goals in four days.”
On Dele Alli: “He plays in a position where he feels happy and comfortable. We also give him space for his creativity, which he always has. I think he played three phenomenal matches since I arrived.”
On the fans’ reception: “The fans love the club. I’m not saying they love me but they accept me as a top professional who wants to give everything for the club.
“People have more reasons to love me if they like my work, but the fans are behind the team and they see us working hard to get to a position in the table that is more suitable to the talent of this squad.”
Eddie Howe speaking to Match of the Day: “We felt it was a close game all the way through. I think we played OK today but the disappointing thing is to concede two goals from long balls. That killed us.
“We should have dealt with them better. These are not the type of goals you expect to concede coming here.
“Harry Wilson is a goalscorer, and we had other moments during the game. It is just a shame we were coming back from 3-0 down. In this league if you’re not quite where you need to be you can get punished.”
