Spurs star is better than Man Utd and Swansea aces, admits Allardyce

Tuesday, February 26, 2013
9:06 AM

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is in no doubt that, on current form, Gareth Bale is the best player in the Premier League after the Tottenham ace stunned his men with a late winner at Upton Park last night.

The Welshman also opened the scoring against the east Londoners as the Lilywhites won 3-2 and leapfrogged above Chelsea to third in the division.

His double means that Bale has now scored eight in his last six games including winners against Lyon, Newcastle and West Brom.

Allardyce had suggested in the lead-up to the London derby that the 23-year-old’s valuation would sit somewhere around the £50million mark and admitted last night that the former Southampton youngster leaves defenders in a quandary when it comes to stopping him.

“If you get too tight he skips past you, if you stand off him he hits them like that [the winning goal],” he said.

“You have got to admire the quality of the goal. We’ve heard a lot about Michu at Swansea and what [Robin] Van Persie has done for Manchester United but at the moment there’s nobody doing more for a football club than Gareth Bale for Tottenham, by the quality of goals he is scoring and consistent level of goals.

“I am not sure anybody else has scored for them recently, and every goal he seems to be getting is outside the box as well.”

Allardyce was left aggrieved by referee Howard Webb’s decision to not reduce the visitors to 10 men.

Dembele was booked for a challenge in the first half but escaped punishment for a number of misdemeanours before being substituted by Villas-Boas.

“A disappointing situation that I feel has to be pointed at by me, Howard Webb has to send Dembele off,” said Allardyce.

“The laws we’re told what they have to do, we are told they have to do - the foul on [Kevin] Nolan is a booking, then he fouls Mohamed Diame, and look at what our players have been booked for.

“Then early into the second half he pulls Joe Cole, the third one, then kicks the ball 20 yards away. All day long Mike Riley tells us that’s a booking, so it would be 10-men Tottenham.

“It is disappointing for me, but at end of all that we have given it our best shot, I’m very disappointed we haven’t got any points out of it.”