Pochettino: Alli has a lot to learn

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino said Dele Alli still has a lot to learn after the midfielder kicked out an opponent during Thursday’s Europa League tie at Fiorentina.

Alli and Nenad Tomovic tangled in the first half of the 1-1 last-32 opening-leg draw, the England international escaping with just a yellow card after appearing to catch the Fiorentina defender with his boot on the half-hour mark.

It is not the first time Alli has been at the centre of controversy, after Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew accused the 19-year-old of stamping on Yohan Cabaye in January.

And Pochettino, who saw Nacer Chadli’s penalty cancelled out by Federico Bernardeschi in the second half at Stadio Artemio Franchi, insisted: “We need to look at the video and try to teach him.

“He is a young player and he has a lot to learn about elite football. It is his first season in the Premier League at Tottenham.

“He came from League One, he needs to learn a lot, still learn. But I didn’t see [the incident]. Some people say ‘yes’, some say ‘no’, so I don’t know.”