As Spurs chased a result against Gent that seemed to be slipping away from them, the last thing they needed was a moment of madness from a key player.
Unfortunately for Tottenham, Dele Alli has history when it comes to a rush of blood. On Thursday night he added a new form of ill-discipline to his multi-tool belt, brutally hacking down Brecht Dejaegere in the 39th minute.
It was the first time Alli has been sent off in his nascent career.
Alli is one of the country's finest footballers and, assuming there are no spectacular hitches along the way, he should go on to be England's most important player over the next decade.