Burnley vs Tottenham: Mauricio Pochettino awaits FA decision after angry post-match confrontation with Mike Dean

Pochettino could be handed a touchline ban if the Football Association decides his behaviour was abusive or insulting towards Dean

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is likely to discover on Monday if he will be charged with misconduct over his angry post-match confrontation with referee Mike Dean at Burnley on Saturday.

Pochettino could be handed a touchline ban if the Football Association decides his behaviour was abusive or insulting towards Dean, who is understood to have included the incident in his match report. The FA will study that report before deciding on its course of action.

Jesus Perez, the Spurs assistant manager, and goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez were also involved as Pochettino strode on to the pitch to confront the referee after a 2-1 defeat that severely damaged the visitors’ Premier League title chances.

Television pictures appeared to show the Tottenham manager reacting angrily to something that Dean said, although neither party has revealed publicly the details of the exchange.

Pochettino has accepted that, in his own words, he “crossed the line” during an argument, and appeared to indicate in his post-match press conference on Saturday that he would not contest an FA charge. He said: “I will accept everything that can happen from the FA but I hope they won’t go any further.”

Tottenham’s manager was upset about some of Dean’s decisions during the game; he was seen to be in an animated conversation with fourth official Craig Pawson after Chris Wood scored Burnley’s opening goal from a corner that should not have been awarded, while there was anger too that home defender Phil Bardsley was only booked for a scything second-half challenge on Danny Rose.

However, the visitors also benefited from a controversial refereeing decision, with Rose allowed to take quick throw-in five yards further forward from where the ball went out of play in setting up Harry Kane’s equaliser.

Pochettino acknowledged afterwards that his frustration was caused more by his side’s defeat, sealed by Ashley Barnes’ late winner.

A victory would have lifted Tottenham to within one point of the Premier League leadership, at least temporarily, but the only positive they took from a disappointing overall display was the return of Kane after seven matches out with ankle ligament damage.

The forward’s 21st goal of the season, calmly finished from Rose’s throw, was good news for watching England manager Gareth Southgate, planning a squad for the opening two Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro next month.

“I felt good,” the England captain said. “It was a physical game, which was good for me and good for the sharpness, getting 90 minutes under the belt. For me now, it’s about recovering and making myself available for the game at Chelsea on Wednesday. I just need to build that fitness up and be ready for a busy week or two.”

Kane is not about to give up on the title race, despite Pochettino suggesting immediately after the game that it was more or less all over for Spurs.

The striker argued that Tottenham can continue to defy the odds, as they have by being so close to the leaders despite not having their own home ground as White Hart Lane is rebuilt.

“We’re a team that doesn’t like to make excuses, but at the end of the day we’ve been playing away from home for the past two years,” Kane said. “We’ve had a tough time. It is what it is. We’re in the hunt for the Premier League. We’re still in the Champions League, we’re in a good place.

“People have been talking us not being in it, then we would win a few games and we’re there. It’s been like that for the whole season. People will probably say now it’s a two-horse race, but that’s not our problem. All we can do is take care of ourselves.”