Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli needs to be careful after Swansea diving furore, warns Howard Webb

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Sam Long6 December 2016

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli must be careful he does not earn a negative reputation from referees, according to former Premier League official Howard Webb.

Alli has been accused of diving after going down under a challenge from Kyle Naughton in Tottenham's 5-0 victory against Swansea.

There appeared to be minimal contact between the two players as Alli chased a loose ball and referee Jonathan Moss hesitated before eventually pointing to the penalty spot.

Swansea boss Bob Bradley described the decision as a "game changer" and was understandably aggrieved as Harry Kane slotted home the resulting penalty.

Spurs went on to win comfortably but Alli's tumble became a major talking point and Webb is adamant the 20-year-old could be looked upon unfavourably in the future.

"It was a dive and Dele Alli needs to be careful he doesn't get a reputation," Webb told the Times.

"It is OK playing on the edge, but the problem is one of perception.

"Although referees will go into the game trying to be neutral, you can't unsee what have previously seen a player do, so these things subconsciously affect the way referees view him."

Mauricio Pochettino has refused to criticise Alli but believes English players are just as guilty as their foreign counterparts in regards to theatrics.

"I think Mauricio Pochettino is right that there is a different feeling in different parts of the world about diving: in parts of South America it is seen as part of the sport.

"It is now widespread across the world and almost any refereeing seminar will include discussion of how to deal with it," he added.

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