Mauricio Pochettino "had no doubts" about Dele Alli

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has praised Dele Alli for his match-winning double against Chelsea and insists that he never doubted the midfielder's talent.

Alli responded to international disappointment with England over the past fortnight by tucking home twice in the Lilywhites' 3-1 comeback victory at Stamford Bridge.

The England ace was used for a combined 22 minutes in the recent meetings with the Netherlands and Italy, leading to suggestions that he will be overlooked for regular selection when the World Cup comes around.

Pochettino claims that Alli's quality should never be doubted, though, with the 21-year-old once again proving his importance to Spurs.

"He's a great talent and I had no doubts about him," he told Sky Sports News. "Young players need room to breath. There's pressure on their shoulders.

"But he has nothing to show to me or Tottenham. It's more about the expectation being so high. I'm so happy for him."

Alli, who has nine assists and eight goals in the Premier League this term, is the third Tottenham player to represent the club 100 times in the Premier League before the age of 22.