The incident involved a high-studs challenge on Copenhagen defender Marcos López, catching him on the Achilles tendon away from the ball. Referee Erik Lambrechts initially issued a yellow card, but after a VAR review by Bram van Driessche, it was upgraded to a red for serious foul play. This made Johnson the first British player to both score and be sent off in a Champions League game, as he had opened the scoring earlier in the match.
As ever, measured stuff from our current Spurs coach, Thomas Frank, who has more on his plate than some might readily care to admit.
The problem with rules and technology in sport is always a case of interpretation. Frank was stoic in respect of attacker Brennan Johnson’s sending off.
“I think I understand”, said the Norwegian, faced with having to imagine how the officials saw the incident. Here’s the full quote for context.
“I think I understand why it can be given, but that still footage is where it looks bad. There was no recklessness in this tackle from Brennan… It was a little bit unfortunate and was harsh.”
At the time of the dismissal, Spurs were leading 2-0, with goals from Johnson and Wilson Odobert. Reduced to 10 men, we faced pressure but held firm, extending our lead to 4-0 with stunning solo strikes from Micky van de Ven and João Palhinha.
The win certainly provided a morale boost after a recent Premier League loss to Chelsea, leaving Tottenham with eight points from four Champions League group games.
Johnson will return for Eintracht Frankfurt on January 28, 2026. The suspension is confined to Champions League fixtures, and obviously, this won’t affect domestic games, such as the upcoming Premier League clash with Manchester United.
Appeals are possible but unlikely to succeed, as straight reds for serious foul play rarely get overturned without clear evidence of error.
For Tottenham, Johnson’s absence could strain their attacking depth in key fixtures, especially with his recent form (he’s the team’s top scorer this season).