Tottenham Hotspur star was booked for diving.
Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli picked up a booking in Tottenham’s 4-0 win at Huddersfield.
Alli was yellow carded for diving in the win as he tried to win a penalty in the second half.
Spurs were already cruising, 3-0 up, and Alli’s booking has seen another wave of criticism come his way.
He said: “This time last season, we were all talking about Dele Alli’s world-class, all-action displays. Now he is grabbing headlines by getting involved in silly incidents.
“There was nothing to be gained from him diving against Huddersfield.
“He seems far too concerned by what his opponents are doing rather than his own performance. Dele is still a very young player but he must learn to shut out these distractions. We want to get back to talking about his brilliance.”
Alli had a disappointing game as a whole against Huddersfield even though Tottenham cruised.
Perhaps he was simply trying too hard to make something happen, but he was left looking foolish.
Former Referee Graham Poll also weighed in, telling The Mail: “Dele Alli has a major flaw in his game — he can’t stop cheating.
“There was a chance to score, there was no reason for the England player to dive, but he couldn’t resist it.”
The danger for Alli now is that his reputation has been sullied by his own actions.
Referees will be aware of his diving, and could be more hesitant to award what could be genuine penalty appeals.
This is a problem of Alli’s own making, but it is a problem for the Tottenham team as a result.
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