BIRMINGHAM, England -- Tottenham have subtly changed systems in the past month and Dele Alli says he is enjoying playing closer to the opposition's goal after scoring in consecutive league games.
Alli has occasionally played as a holding midfielder in Tottenham's 4-2-3-1 formation but manager Mauricio Pochettino has switched to a 4-1-4-1 set-up for the last four or five matches, allowing the England midfielder freedom to go forward.
He scored in the 2-0 win over Manchester City a fortnight ago and missed several chances in Saturday's 1-1 draw at West Brom before equalising in the 89th minute.
"When you're playing with a few players in the pocket, it doesn't leave me isolated in there by myself. I have a bit more space to work and be higher up the pitch," Alli told reporters at the Hawthorns.
"The strikers we've got have great movement, so it gives me a chance to, if not get in behind, then have space in the pocket to have a shot or whatever. I like scoring goals and being up there. It's important for me to keep doing that and for the team as well."
Alli's toe-poke secured a point for Spurs and maintained their unbeaten start to the league season after Nacer Chadli's 84th-minute goal against his former club put the Baggies on course for a surprise smash and grab.
Spurs had enough chances to be comfortably clear by half-time and Alli was twice denied by Ben Foster, the second when he was one-one-one with the goalkeeper -- leading to criticism from Pochettino after the game.
"It [the goal] was natural instinct when I knew that all the players were on the other side of the goal. It was a bit compact there so I wanted to put it in the other corner," Alli said.
"It's always nice to get a goal but I feel like I could have had a few more today. The chances we were creating and the one-on-one where I went through I should have put it away ... we should have scored a few more today.
"When we are playing as well as we did today -- when we dominated the game from the start -- it is important that when we get chances we are clinical even if the keeper is playing well we have to make sure we do score.
"Every game is different. Every opposition comes with a different threat. We dominated the game from the start and it was a case of not putting away our chances. The keeper played really well for them and kept out a few shots from us. It is one of those ... it is a tough one to take, we feel like we should have left with three points. There are definitely positives to take.
"As a team we are confident and we feel like we can beat anyone. We won't be too down on that, we just need to work on the negatives and make sure that we improve on it and be more clinical."
Former England striker Alan Shearer likened Alli to Frank Lampard after the match, while he has also earned comparisons with ex-Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard.
"I hope [to be] compared to someone like [Gerrard] -- he is a hero of mine and to be put in the same category as him is an honour," Alli added. "But I have to keep working for the team and trying to do as well as I can."
Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld was stretchered off holding his right leg in the second half at the Hawthorns, and Alli said: "There is no denying that he is a fantastic defender and great part of this team.
"We all have our fingers crossed that it isn't too bad but the squad has great depth and the [other] defenders are waiting to get their chance as well. Like I say, hopefully it is not too bad, but [if it is] it will give other people a chance to come in and earn their place."