Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League safety will now go to the final day after a 2-1 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and Djed Spence made sure the game’s most disputed moment did not disappear quietly. After the match, Spence posted a slowed-down, zoomed-in clip of Liam Delap’s challenge on X and captioned it with 15 laughing emojis.
The incident came during a Chelsea counter-attack when Delap swung an arm toward Spence while challenging for a loose aerial ball. Stuart Attwell showed Delap a yellow card, Tottenham players immediately surrounded the referee, and Spence was visibly frustrated as the decision stood. Tottenham needed just one point against Chelsea to secure their Premier League status, which made every call at Stamford Bridge carry immediate weight.
Former referee Keith Hackett said the challenge should have gone to the monitor and been reviewed by Attwell. He said Delap had used his arm or elbow on his opponent in what amounted to violent conduct and should have been sent off, not merely booked. VAR did check the incident briefly, but officials judged it to be reckless rather than violent conduct and did not see a clear and obvious error that would justify overturning the on-field decision.
The flashpoint landed after Tottenham had already been denied a penalty minutes earlier when Marc Cucurella wrestled Micky Van de Ven to the ground during a corner. VAR ruled the ball was not yet in play on that incident, adding to a night in which Spurs felt little went their way. Supporters have complained all season that they have been on the wrong end of several refereeing decisions, and this match gave that grievance more fuel.
For Tottenham, the defeat was bad enough on its own. The larger problem is that the club’s season is now reduced to one last match with everything still hanging over it, and Spence’s post ensured the Delap decision will be part of the conversation long after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge.
