Tottenham ace Dele Alli has come under-fire this season for several acts of simulation, but BBC pundit Ian Wright has leaped to his defence after his latest involvement in a diving incident.
The 21-year-old attacker was accused of throwing himself to the ground at the weekend in the FA Cup fifth round clash against League One Rochdale.
He was fouled inside the penalty area late into the game and teammate Harry Kane scored from the resulting spot-kick during the thrilling 2-2 draw.
Alli has been accused of simulation and has a growing reputation against him following a number of incidents in recent years.
However, Wright has stated that the England international was fouled by the Rochdale defender and was certainly not guilty of going to ground too easily.
“To suggest he dived to win that late FA Cup penalty is just wrong. It was a foul, a tired challenge from a League One defender against fresh legs,” Wright wrote in his column for The Sun (20 February, Page 46).
“Dele is a really magnificent and he will be crucial to England’s hopes at the World Cup this summer. So get off his case.”
OPINION
Alli definitely was fouled in the cup showdown at the weekend, but he is the case of the boy who cried wolf and unfortunately he has now picked up a reputation for diving. The attacking midfielder is going to be scrutinised every time he goes to ground given his recent track record and that just comes with the territory. Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino needs to have a word in his ear to ensure simulation doesn’t become a regular part of his game and over time that reputation will fade away. He still remains a vital player for the North London club and has been directly involved in 22 goals so far this season.