Tottenham’s Champions League hopes lie in tatters after a red card for Hugo Lloris cost them victory in their vital Group B game at PSV Eindhoven.
Harry Kane thought he had scored a crucial winner which would have handed Spurs a European lifeline against the Dutch side, the other team without a point to their name after two matches.
But Lloris’ latest rush of blood, a foul outside his penalty area on Hirving Lozano, earned him a straight red card and, shortly after, former Newcastle loanee Luuk de Jong secured a 2-2 draw for PSV which is unlikely to be of any use for either team.
Spurs may have made their best start to a Premier League season but their European campaign has been beset by self-inflicted wounds, from the late collapse at Inter Milan to Lloris’ gaffe against Barcelona.
And when PSV’s opening goal arrived, shortly after Kane had clipped the crossbar, it was also of Tottenham’s making, with last man Toby Alderweireld caught in possession by Lozano.
The Mexican winger scampered through on goal and although Alderweireld got back to make a challenge, he succeeded only in diverting the ball over Lloris and into the net.
Spurs thought they had equalised almost immediately but Davinson Sanchez’s drive through a crowded area was ruled out for a misdemeanour by Kane.
However, they did haul themselves level when Kieran Trippier pulled the ball back for Lucas Moura to ram home, via a deflection through another sea of defenders.
Yet still Spurs could not settle and moments before half-time Gaston Pereiro’s toe-poke flicked up off Sanchez and grazed the crossbar.
After the break fit-again Christian Eriksen warmed the hands of goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet with a snap-shot before Kane finally got his goal.
Eriksen showed what Spurs have been missing during his spell out with an abdominal injury when he lifted the ball perfectly onto the head of the waiting Kane at the far post.
That should have been that until Lloris injected further, unnecessary drama into the tie when he raced outside the area and upended the onrushing Lozano to earn a straight red card.
It proved costly in the extreme. Back-up keeper Michel Vorm held out for all of seven minutes before the ball reached De Jong in the area and he prodded an equaliser.
Kane tried in vain for a winner but his stoppage-time shot was blocked to condemn Spurs to what looks likely to be an unseemly scuffle with PSV for the dreaded third place and a spot in the Europa League.