Credit: BBC MOTD/Imago

Scott Mason

Mon 23 March 2026 9:10, UK

Djed Spence did not have the greatest of games against Nottingham Forest, and Danny Murphy has criticised the Tottenham Hotspur defender for switching off.

Spurs, after picking up a valiant point at Anfield, have now taken two steps back in their survival fight as relegation rivals Forest secured a 3-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

For much of the first half, it was the Lilywhites that were in control, but they were simply unable to find the opener.

Spence did not have the greatest of matches for the N17 outfit and was substituted at half-time by Igor Tudor, who is under real pressure again.

His struggles were amplified just before the break, as in a crucial moment in Tottenham’s loss to Nottingham Forest, Spence lacked focus, allowing Igor Jesus to head home the Tricky Trees’ first goal.

What did Danny Murphy say about Djed Spence against Nottingham Forest

It took until the 45th minute for Nottingham Forest to win their first corner of the game, and from that, they threatened with an excellent chance to score.

However, in the end, they would simply win another set piece, and that is where the tide of the game turned.

Spence, who was marking Jesus, had allowed the Brazilian to drop behind him, and the Forest striker had a free header at goal.

The moment became a point of criticism for Match of the Day pundit Murphy, who questioned whether Spence was fully focused.

Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, Murphy said: “They gave Forest the first goal, and they kept making mistakes. We have seen it so many times from Tottenham again and again.

“It is about small details in games. This is a set play. Djed Spence, do your job. Where is he? Jesus, free as a bird.

“That’s when the game changed and when the confidence drained, and that’s when Forest deserve credit for getting themselves in the game, but when you are fighting for your life, everybody has got to be at it.”

From that moment, the game had certainly changed, with Nottingham Forest beginning to show more confidence and a cutting edge that Spurs simply lacked.

After creating just 0.17 xG in the opening 45, the away side would follow that up with 1.17 xG in the second half.

Overall, it was a poor display from most Tottenham players, but that moment from Spence ultimately resigned them to another loss.

Djed Spence had a game to forget for Tottenham, the numbers prove it

While that moment will highlight the poor performance of Spence, the numbers also back it up.

According to Sofascore, Spence won just 50 per cent of his duels, one of his four attempted tackles – just a 25 per cent success rate – and failed to register a single successful cross on three times of asking.

The Tottenham defender also lost possession on 11 occasions.

Additionally, the data hub has rated the Englishman as Tottenham’s second-worst starter, with Richarlison’s 6.1 rating the only one worse than Spence’s 6.3.

In the end, Tudor was well within his rights to replace the 25-year-old, but after conceding the first goal, all confidence was zapped out of Spurs, and Jesus’ opener decided the game.