Dele Alli risked upsetting Tottenham supporters after losing a pair of EAFC 27 matches against streamer iShowSpeed and fulfilling a forfeit that required him to wear an Arsenal shirt. The former England international apologised to his former club's fans before appearing to get rid of the shirt in a follow-up Instagram post, turning the incident into another moment of entertainment during his search for a return to professional football.






Dele Alli loses bet to iShowSpeed and wears Arsenal shirt


Alli, who spent seven years at Tottenham between 2015 and 2022, agreed to wear an Arsenal shirt if he lost a series of matches against YouTuber and streamer iShowSpeed during a livestream.




The pair faced each other in EAFC 27, with Alli taking control of Paris Saint-Germain in the opening game against Speed's Bayern Munich. The 30-year-old was beaten 7-2 before switching teams for the rematch, choosing Al Qadsiah against Speed's Al Nassr. He lost that match 4-2, leaving him with no choice but to honour the forfeit.




Alli subsequently shared a photograph of himself wearing an Arsenal jersey on his Instagram story, acknowledging the reaction it would provoke among Tottenham supporters.




“Sorry Spurs fans, but a bet is a bet,” he wrote.




The midfielder, who remains closely associated with Tottenham after his seven-year spell in north London, later appeared to make amends with another post. He shared a photograph of the Arsenal shirt looking ripped up on the floor, with a fire extinguisher placed beside it, suggesting that he had burned the jersey.






“Speed, a bet is a bet! But this is what you call the aftermath,” Alli wrote.












The posts gave Tottenham supporters a glimpse of the lighter side of his recent online activity, although the sight of their former player wearing Arsenal colours was unlikely to have been welcomed by everyone at the club.






Dele Alli's livestreams and his search for a football comeback


The appearance with Speed was not Alli's first involvement in livestreams since becoming a free agent. On another occasion, he contacted several former teammates during a broadcast, allowing viewers to listen to the conversations.




One of the calls involved former Tottenham teammate Harry Kane. Alli backed the England captain to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or weeks before Kane went on to claim the award in London.




His growing presence online has also brought renewed attention to the contrast between his current circumstances and the heights he reached during his career at Tottenham.




Alli has been without a club since September 2025, when his contract with Italian side Como was terminated. He has not appeared in English football since 2024 and is still attempting to find a route back into the professional game.




He had been using the training facilities at League Two club Barnet as he worked towards a comeback. It also emerged that Salford City had offered him the opportunity to join the club under then-manager Karl Robinson, although the proposed move never materialised. Alli was subsequently pictured training with semi-professional side Windsor & Eton.




His last competitive appearance came in March 2025, when he made his Como debut against AC Milan. The midfielder was sent off just nine minutes after coming on, in what was his first senior appearance in almost 750 days.






From Tottenham star to an uncertain future


The difficulties of Alli's recent career stand in sharp contrast to the player who became one of the Premier League's most exciting young midfielders.




He scored 67 goals in 269 appearances for Tottenham between 2015 and 2022, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award twice. He was also part of the side that finished second in the Premier League in 2017 and reached the Champions League final in 2019.




His performances during that period established him as one of England's most promising attacking midfielders, but his career subsequently lost momentum, with injuries, changes of club and limited playing opportunities interrupting his progress.




At 30, Alli is still targeting a return to competitive football, although he has yet to secure a club or establish when he might play again. His livestream appearance with Speed offered a glimpse of what he has been doing away from the pitch, while the search for his next footballing opportunity continues.