Djed Spence is still alive in the World Cup, but Tottenham should not file England’s 2-1 win over DR Congo as a clean confidence boost.
England’s official match report confirmed that Harry Kane’s late double rescued Thomas Tuchel’s side after Brian Cipenga had put DR Congo ahead inside seven minutes in Atlanta. Spence started at right-back, but the wider defensive picture was uncomfortable enough for Roberto De Zerbi to study closely before Tottenham’s pre-season work accelerates.
This was not a disaster performance. It was something more useful for Spurs: a tournament-pressure stress test that exposed where Spence still needs structure around him.
Spence’s England Role Carries A Tottenham Lesson
Tottenham’s own World Cup tracker had already flagged the importance of this fixture, noting that Spence had featured in every England game before the DR Congo tie. That matters because his summer is no longer about simple visibility. It is about proving his body, concentration and decision-making can hold up across repeated high-stakes minutes.
The first problem came from England’s collective right-side disorder. Cipenga’s early goal arrived from a deep delivery that England failed to manage, and The Guardian’s player ratings placed Spence among the players marked down for the confusion, giving him 4/10 while also noting that he did offer moments going forward.
That split is the point for De Zerbi. Spence has the athletic range to stretch games and recover ground, but Tottenham need the next version of him to be less reactive when the back line is dragged across. De Zerbi’s full-backs are not passengers. They are triggers for build-up, pressing and rest defence.
The Mask Context Cannot Be Ignored
Spence is also playing through a physical compromise. talkSPORT reported that the protective mask is linked to the broken jaw he suffered late in Tottenham’s Premier League season, with the defender continuing to wear it throughout the tournament.
That does not excuse every defensive hesitation, but it changes the way Spurs should read the evidence. A full-back operating with facial protection in knockout football is dealing with contact, heat, visibility and timing in a way that will not be fully replicated at Hotspur Way.
For Tottenham, the sharper question is not whether Spence should be trusted. It is how quickly De Zerbi can give him a clearer right-side framework once club football returns.
De Zerbi Has A Full-Back Decision To Make
England eventually advanced because Kane bent the match back towards elite certainty. Spurs should look past the rescue act. Spence was withdrawn before the comeback was complete, with Declan Rice dropping into the right-back space, and that substitution tells its own story.
If De Zerbi wants Spence as more than emergency tournament cover, pre-season must sharpen three areas:
- Back-post scanning when the far-side winger attacks the blind spot.
- Ball security when Tottenham build under pressure.
- Recovery positioning after he joins attacks high on the right.
That is why this performance should help Tottenham rather than harm him. The World Cup has stripped the role down under pressure. Spence’s tools are obvious; the detail around them is still being tested.
ReadTottenham has already explored the mask test around Spence. The DR Congo match adds a harder layer: De Zerbi now has evidence of what happens when the right-back role becomes chaotic, not controlled.
That is the warning Tottenham should take back from Atlanta.
