Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce is not concerned that controversial match referee Mike Dean is set to officiate his side's third-round FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

Dean has been at the centre of controversy of late after wrongly sending off West Ham United's Sofiane Feghouli in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on Monday.

Ahead of Sunday's trip to White Hart Lane, Bruce said: "Mike is a very good referee, he's proved that over the years, so I've no problem.

"I'm sure I've called him a few things over the years, but it is a hard job. The game is so fast, so of course they will miss things now and again.

"Everything in the game has got quicker – the players, the balls fly through the air quicker, the grass is better so the surface is faster.

"But let's not forget that the referees and that includes Mike are quicker too. They have to undergo a rigorous training regime.

"They have a really hard job, especially with cameras at every angle, and of course when you are on the wrong end of a mistake now and then it can be tough.

"But for me, when you see the rest of Europe, the Premier League referees are especially good and Mike is one of the top ones so I've no problem at all."