I don’t have a problem with brawling Spurs, says Pochettino as Dembele gets six-match ban

Mauricio Pochettino insists Tottenham’s ugly response to the end of their Premier League title challenge is actually a good omen for the future.

Pochettino will be without key midfielders Mousa Dembele and Dele Alli for Tottenham’s final home game of the season against Southampton on Sunday as the pair serve suspensions accrued during the tense conclusion to their team’s unsuccessful bid to catch champions Leicester.

Dembele was hit with a six-game ban for gouging the eye of Chelsea’s Diego Costa during Monday’s costly 2-2 draw, while Alli is sidelined after being caught on camera punching West Bromwich Albion’s Claudio Yacob in the stomach in a 1-1 draw a week earlier.

Even the urbane Pochettino seemed to lose his cool as Tottenham’s title hopes faded and at one stage he charged onto the pitch in an unusually aggressive attempt to break up a row between Tottenham defender Danny Rose and Chelsea’s Willian.

Those incidents and Tottenham’s ill-tempered response to blowing a two-goal lead at Chelsea, a result which handed Leicester the title, has prompted criticism of Pochettino’s handling of his second placed squad.