Mauricio Pochettino rallies behind Dele Alli, saying Tottenham midfielder needs support

Midfielder, 23, has suffered a dip in form over the past 18 months that has also seen him dropped from the England squad

Tottenham and England star Dele Alli has been robbed at knifepoint in his home. EPA

Mauricio Pochettino has backed Dele Alli to rediscover his best form, saying it is important to rally around the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder.

The 23-year-old midfielder has suffered a dip in from over the past 18 months and also lost his place in the England squad under Gareth Southgate having been an important part of the team that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

Alli scored 23 times in all competitions in the 2016/17 campaign but managed just seven last season, although he is by no means the only Spurs player to have under-performed for last season's Champions League finalists.

The former MK Dons player has been hampered by injury this term, limiting him to just seven appearances. Spurs head into Sunday's Premier League encounter away to Everton 11 points off the Champions League places, but Pochettino urged critics to take into account Alli's age.

"We need to remember that he's so young and the pressure is massive," Pochettino told reporters.

"He's English and everybody expects big things from him but he's still 23 years old.

"He was fantastic then he dropped a bit in his performance but we must back him.

"We have to pay attention, to focus and try to improve in the way that everyone expects."

Last week's 2-1 defeat to leaders Liverpool dropped Spurs to 11th in the table, the first time the North London club have been in the bottom half in November since Pochettino took over in 2014. And, after Saturday's results, they dropped a further two places and now sit 13th.

They have not won away in the league since January and with only four victories in 14 matches in all competitions so far this season, Pochettino says confidence is low.

"We need to be positive, feel that positivity and make us believe that we can beat any team," Pochettino said.

"At the moment we struggle with our confidence, we drop a lot. That's only time. The most important thing is how we're going to finish, it's not this moment.

"[Last season] is a good memory but we want to win. Any result [against Everton] is going to be good for us."

Everton have made an even worse start than Tottenham and their manager Marco Silva is under pressure with his side two points off the relegation zone. Yet a win on Sunday would put Everton above Tottenham in the league.

Silva says a late decision will be made on Yerry Mina's involvement after the defender, who missed the 3-2 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion last Saturday due to a knee problem, started against Watford in the Carabao Cup three days later only to be replaced by Michael Keane early in the first half.

After the 2-0 win, Silva said Mina had felt pain in his knee and that he did not know the chances of the 25-year-old Colombia international being involved in this weekend's contest at Goodison Park.

When asked at a press conference for an update, Silva said: "It was nothing serious, what he has in his knee at this moment. It's just a matter of having the conditions to support the pain he has in this moment. If he can do that, he can train and possibly he can play as well."