Jose Mourinho criticised VAR despite seeing his Tottenham side beat 10-man Manchester City in an action-packed Premier League clash.

The Spurs boss felt a number of decisions went against the hosts and insisted Raheem Sterling should have been sent off for an early foul on Dele Alli.

There was also penalty controversy before Oleksandr Zinchenko did see red for City, with Tottenham taking advantage as debutant Steven Bergwijn opened the scoring and Son Heung-min wrapped up a 2-0 victory.

City missed from the spot after video assistant referee Kevin Friend instructed on-field official Mike Dean to award a penalty some two minutes after Serge Aurier's challenge on Sergio Aguero.

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But while Mourinho, who would have enjoyed getting one over his old adversary Pep Guardiola to move Spurs up to fifth in the Premier League in the process, refused to criticise Dean he was clearly unhappy with the VAR contributions throughout the game.

"I love football and I thought I was going to love VAR, that was my initial feeling," he said.

"I love the truth... playing for three minutes and then after three minutes, the VAR gives a penalty, then if it's a penalty no problem. We can wait 10 minutes. I just want the truth.

"I thought I was going to love VAR the way I love goal-line technology. I love goal-line technology because there is no mistake. The VAR has too many mistakes, too many.

"Look if the ball doesn't go out it doesn't go out. If the ball doesn't go out for three minutes or 10 minutes you have to play.

"Then when it's out the decision is to be made, but the right decision. Not the wrong decision. The more time the ball is in play, the more time the VAR has to watch replays, replays and replays.

"So one more reason to give the right decision, but the game started immediately with the wrong decision. It's a red card, it's a direct red card to Sterling.

"I know that Mike Dean has a difficult job. He's on the pitch and it's 200 miles an hour. I wouldn't like to be a referee because it's so difficult.

"Sometimes I try in training sessions and I realise that it's too difficult. So for me Mike Dean, good performance. The problem is the VAR."