'RESULT HURTS A LOT BUT WE FLEW THE FLAG HIGH'

HOUBJERG HAILS BATTLING DISPLAY DESPITE DEFEAT

- Dan Kilpatrick

TOTTENHAM'S players were left proud of their battling performance and the reaction of their fans, despite their unbeaten run coming to a painful end with last night's 4-1 home defeat by rivals Chelsea.

Nine-man Spurs eventually succumbed to Nicolas Jackson's late hattrick after Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie were sent off either side of the interval in one of the most chaotic and controversy-packed games in Premier League history - one which also included five disallowed goals.

James Maddison and Micky van de Ven were also forced off injured, the latter with a serious-looking hamstring problem, at the start of 12 minutes of first-half stoppage-time after Cole Palmer's penalty had cancelled out Dejan Kulusevski's deflected strike.

Asked by Standard Sport to sum up the night, Spurs's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg said: "I was in the battle, so it's easier for you guys to have a clear vision.