Sky Sports pundit Stephen Warnock has slammed Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal after his weekend altercation with Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech.

The Lowdown: On-pitch turnaround...

Spurs took on their London rivals last Sunday in their second consecutive capital derby, having overcome West Ham 2-0 a week previously.

The result was one to enjoy for manager Antonio Conte, who was again missed in the dugout, as goals from Oliver Skipp and star striker Harry Kane cemented another 2-0 victory over a capital club.

Tottenham have started to regain momentum as of late, winning four of their last five games in the league whilst keeping four clean sheets.

The Latest: Sky pundit slams Emerson...

During the victory on Sunday, Ziyech was initially sent off for an alleged shove in the face of Emerson, only for VAR to overturn the decision and instead see Stuart Attwell brandish a yellow card to the Chelsea winger upon watching replays.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Warnock accused the Tottenham defender of simulation and play-acting, branding his supposed antics as 'embarrassing'.

He claimed: "I thought it was embarrassing from Emerson Royal, I was so angry when I saw it, he instigates the whole thing by running in, banging into the back of Ziyech.

"Ziyech just stood up, took it, turned round, shoves him, then catches him, and then the way he [Emerson] hit the ground I'm thinking 'what are you trying to instigate'.

"I thought it was pathetic from Emerson Royal, was made up it got overturned. I cannot stand when players do that."

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The Verdict: Emerson making headlines...

The 24-year-old is once again in the headlines following his real upsurge in form lately and this season could well be his defining one in a Tottenham shirt.

Reports previously suggested that the former Real Betis gem wasn't favoured by Conte as a wing-back, leading them to sign Pedro Porro from Sporting Lisbon in January.

However, an array of solid performances has seen Emerson start to become a cult hero, with the 24-year-old also growing increasingly popular behind the scenes at Tottenham.

This apparent act of simulation has brought him attention for the wrong reasons, but it's perhaps an incident from which the Brazilian can learn from as he continues to develop his all-round game.