Ian Wright slams Tottenham star after 'blatant' Liverpool incident as ban demanded

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Liverpool IconLiverpool FC NewsFeaturesLiverpool FCDjed Spence was accused of diving during Tottenham's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, with Ian Wright calling it a 'blatant dive' as ex-referee Keith Hackett calls for retrospective punishmentReferee John Brooks is surrounded by Tottenham players during the game between Liverpool and Spurs(Image: Getty Images)Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has urged authorities to introduce retrospective bans for simulation, following Ian Wright's accusation that Tottenham's Djed Spence dived during Saturday's 2-1 loss to Liverpool.The controversial moment unfolded in the 45th minute when Spence embarked on a surging run from deep within his own territory before tumbling inside the Liverpool penalty area after seemingly being clipped by Conor Bradley. He's got no chance of getting that ball on the other side.

So he's just knocked it inside and just wanted contact and got it. It's a blatant dive for me."READ MORE: Mohamed Salah told apology not enough as Liverpool star urged to take actionREAD MORE: Liverpool handed new red card verdict as referee told he missed third sending-off vs TottenhamNow Hackett, a former FIFA-listed official, has called for suspensions to be imposed on players caught diving during matches, with Spence being the latest to face scrutiny, reports Football London.Speaking to Tottenham News, Hackett said: "Sadly, going to ground to deceive the referee by an act of simulation is a regular occurrence in the modern game."It will continue if referees fail to sanction.

The contest remained tight until Liverpool stepped up a gear after the interval, with Alexander Isak firing the Reds into the lead with an excellent strike before Hugo Ekitike extended their lead moments later.Spurs, who were reduced to nine players in second-half injury time when Cristian Romero was dismissed, managed to pull one back through Richarlison, but it was insufficient.Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kitsThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreFrom $100LFC.comSee the dealLiverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world."I think overall it was a good performance tonight, proud of the players and the team and how they responded," Frank said post-match."I actually think the first 30 was also good from us and how we responded to setbacks through the game, something we have been working very hard on, because that is the biggest thing the best teams need to do."How do we respond to setbacks during a game because the best teams deal with it and move on and keep going, stick to the plan, we talked about it before, structure and everything.