Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Wayne Hennessey of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Wayne Hennessey of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Wayne Hennessey of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Wayne Hennessey of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Tottenham manager Pochettino defends 'easy target' Alli over diving allegations


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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino feels Dele Alli is an "easy target" after the playmaker was criticised for diving during the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Against Crystal Palace Alli went to ground under the challenge of defender Patrick van Aanholt and again while chasing the ball near goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. Neither incident led to a penalty or a yellow card for Alli for diving.

Pundits and supporters hit out at Alli for diving with some even calling for the English Football Association (FA) to take retrospective action against the 21-year-old midfielder.

"He is an easy target for everyone," Pochettino said after the match. "We need to stop saying too much about him to stop helping people, the fans, creating this reputation.

"He's so competitive and played very well today but Dele is an easy target."

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Comment: English football needs to get off its moral high horse over diving

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Palace manager Roy Hodgson also defended the England international, saying that Alli's previous reputation was driving fans to label him as a cheat.

"When all the talk in the mass media is about players diving, the public jump on the bandwagon to get as much advantage as they can," Hodgson said.

Spurs full-back Serge Aurier recorded three foul throws at Selhurst Park but Pochettino was light-hearted about the Ivorian's errors.

"We are going to practise every day, I promise you," the Argentine added after Spurs climbed up to fourth in the table. "I promise our fans too. The fans are very disappointed, so we will practise.

"... I said to him: 'You are going to get me sacked. It looks like we are so bad we don't even practise throw-ins.'"

Tottenham host 14th-placed Huddersfield Town in the league on Saturday.

RACE CARD

6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m

7.40pm Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m

8.15pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m

8.50pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m

9.25pm Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m

Uefa Nations League: How it works

The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.

The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.

Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.

Results

2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.

3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.

4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.

PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

Get inspired

Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).

Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.  

Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).