Sterling was booked for a heavy tackle which resulted in Alli leaving the field early with an ankle injury in Tottenham’s 2-0 win over City.
Asked by reporters if he held any anger towards his Three Lions teammate, Alli replied, as quoted by the Telegraph: “Definitely not, he is a good friend of mine, I know he would never have done it intentionally. It is football and those things happen so I know it was nothing intentional, he is not a player like that, so I understand.”
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho called the early foul a 'clear red card', but Alli was quick to defend his England teammate.
Asked if Sterling deserved a straight red, Alli replied: “I am not sure to be honest. I have not had a proper look back at it, it is obviously for the referee and VAR to make the decision. They didn't give the red card.
“We were speaking about it at half time and we are good friends. I know what sort of player Raheem is and he would never intentionally try to hurt someone. There are no hard feelings, he is a fantastic player and we move on.”
Alli will now miss Tottenham’s FA Cup fourth-round replay against Southampton on Wednesday night, but isn't currently thought to be serious enough for a long-term layoff.
The north London side managed a 2-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City, with Son Heung-min and debutant Steven Bergwijn scoring the two goals.
Their crucial win over Pep Guardiola means the Lilywhites are now just four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, both sides hoping to gain Champions League qualification at the end of the season.
Source : 90min