DELE ALLI was lucky to have escaped a serious injury from a Raheem Sterling tackle when Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City 2-0 last Sunday, Jose Mourinho has said while admitting his behaviour during the match saw him go viral “for the wrong reasons”.
It was one of several refereeing decisions to grate on Mourinho during the gripping encounter, with the use of VAR once again at the centre of post-match discussions.
But Alli was fit enough to face Southampton on Wednesday. “No, it’s not as bad as we first thought,” Mourinho told reporters.
“But the intention does not count. What counts is the action. It is a red card.”
Mourinho was particularly animated on the touchline against City, with footage of one action going viral on social media – the clip showing him sprinting to the fourth official to complain about a decision in the aftermath of Hugo Lloris’ penalty save.
The Portuguese coach accepts he may have gone too far with his reaction, but explained his frustration stemmed from what he feels is a misuse of VAR.
“That’s because the referees, they are on the pitch and, as I was saying the other day, it is 200 miles per hour and very difficult for them, and sometimes they don’t see things the same way we do.
