This archive report was first published on 26 July 2019.
Published on July 26, 2019, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino apologised to Manchester United for his team's robust tackling in a 2-1 pre-season defeat on Thursday.
The match in Shanghai saw a number of tough tackles from both teams, with Moussa Sissoko risking being dismissed for a challenge and subsequent stamp on Daniel James.
Dele Alli and United's Andreas Pereira were also guilty of poor tackles, but Pochettino said he expected the same level of tackling from Manchester United.
"I apologise to United on behalf of our players. I expect the same because there was some action in the second half that they made to us," Pochettino told reporters.
He added that he was concerned about the risk of injuries to his players in the heated clash, particularly after United defender Eric Bailly hurt his knee when he tried to block Son Heung-min.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said the prognosis for Bailly did not look encouraging, but he had no problems with the tackles his players faced.
"It's a competitive sport and we're preparing for the league. There was no tippy-toe football... we didn't just receive. We gave as well. I thought it was a good game," Solskjaer said.
