Djed Spence slammed as defender fails Tottenham audition v Crystal Palace
Ange Postecoglou won’t need to think twice about his full-back pairing in the UEFA Europa League final after what happened against Crystal Palace.
Djed Spence appeared to have established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet while Destiny Udogie was injured.
However, the full-back has been dropped to the bench for some big games in recent weeks.
And his performance in the 2-0 Premier League defeat against Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (11 May) was a reminder of why he shouldn’t start the UEFA Europa League final.
Crystal Palace exploit Spence in win v Tottenham
Tottenham will contest the Europa League final against Manchester United at the Estadio de San Mamés on Wednesday, 21 May.
As a result, Postecoglou rested some key players and made eight changes for the Premier League meeting with Crystal Palace. However, none of the players who were drafted into the team did anything to suggest that they should start against United, including Spence.
Udogie was absent from the Tottenham squad on Sunday, prompting injury fears among fans. This saw Spence handed an opportunity to remind Postecoglou of his quality.
However, based on the defender’s performance, if Udogie is fit for the clash with United, starting the Italian is a no-brainer for Postecoglou.
| Tottenham 2024/25 | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Destiny Udogie | 34 | 0 | 1 |
On paper, Spence’s performance against Palace doesn’t make for horrible reading. As per Sofascore, the 24-year-old won seven of his nine ground duels and his one aerial duel, while he also made five tackles, two interceptions and two clearances.
In addition, he completed 76 per cent of his passes and succeeded with 100 per cent of his dribbles.
However, he did also give possession away 12 times, and as per Alasdair Gold, it was the left-back’s sloppiness which cost him against the Eagles.
Gold wrote via X (11 May, 2:48 pm), “Spence having a tough time out there at the moment. Getting caught in possession or out of position a few times. Palace getting so much joy down his flank.”
Postecoglou needs Udogie to stay fit
Postecoglou already has several injury concerns ahead of the clash with United, including a fresh blow to Dejan Kulusevski.
Therefore, the 59-year-old cannot afford to lose any more players, and based on Spence’s display against Palace, Udogie must remain fit.