Tottenham rocked as Djed Spence suffers broken jaw in Chelsea defeat controversy

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Chelsea on Tuesday night was overshadowed by serious injury concerns after Djed Spence was forced off following a heavy aerial challenge.

The 25-year-old defender came out of the contest with a broken jaw after an incident late in the game, leaving Spurs with a significant setback ahead of the season’s final stretch.

What should have been a tightly contested London derby instead ended in concern for the player’s wellbeing and growing frustration within the Tottenham camp.

Flying elbow incident under scrutiny

The injury occurred during a late challenge involving Liam Delap as both players competed for the ball in the closing stages. Spence was on the receiving end of a flying elbow in the duel, with the impact proving severe.

According to The Athletic, medical assessments later confirmed that the Tottenham defender sustained a broken jaw as a result of the collision, turning a brief moment in play into a potentially long recovery period.

VAR decision sparks frustration

Delap was shown a yellow card at the time of the incident, and no VAR review was initiated, a decision that has drawn criticism from Tottenham’s side.

The lack of intervention added to the sense of grievance surrounding the incident, particularly given the severity of Spence’s injury.

The defender later expressed his frustration on social media, highlighting dissatisfaction with how the challenge was handled during the match.

Spurs face decisive final day without key defender

The setback comes at a crucial moment in Tottenham’s season, with their Premier League survival now set to go down to the final day. Spurs will host Everton in North London knowing the stakes could not be higher.

The absence of Spence adds further strain to an already pressured squad as they prepare for a decisive fixture that could define their campaign.