Swansea City manager Carlos Carvalhal has revealed that the linesman apologised to him for not calling Fernando Llorente offside for the Spaniard’s goal.

Llorente scored the opening goal as Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 at the Liberty Stadium, the three points ensuring Spurs went back above Arsenal and into fifth.

The result sees Swansea remain at the foot of the table, but the game could have been very different had Llorente’s goal been chalked off.

Apology

Speaking to the gathered press after the game, Carvalhal said: “The linesman apologised at the end of the game. I understand it’s a mistake. All of us do mistakes. It’s okay.

“I think [Mauricio] Pochettino is a clever manager because he substituted [Davinson] Sanchez in that moment and I think he’s clever and he knows why he substitutes him.”

Sanchez was substituted minutes after he was given a final warning by the referee, he fouled Martin Olsson after already having picked up a yellow card earlier in the game.

Carvalhal continued: “After this, we played against a really strong team. As you know we played three days ago, they played six days ago.

“We have some problems in attack. We don’t have a striker available.” The Portuguese manager said after Wilfried Bony and Tammy Abraham missed the game through injuries.

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Renato Sanches

Speaking on Renato Sanches’ improved form, Carvalhal said: “He’s a boy. He’s still improving.

“He’s in process to be a better player.” The 52-year-old said. “He did very well in Benfica, he did very well in the national team of Portugal but he needs to improve things, he needs to learn things.

“He’s winning confidence, we gave him a role in the last game. We gave him a clear role in this game also.

“I am sure that he will play in a better level in the future because Swansea contracted a very good player but a boy that is still learning, he’s not a ready player that you can put on the team and say ‘play’”

Swansea will hope that Sanches’ form continues in their next game, a FA Cup Third Round away trip to Championship high-fliers Wolverhampton Wanderers.