Tottenham boss Thomas Frank called it the "perfect storm".
Other assessments are available of Cristian Romero's lunge at Manchester United midfielder Casemiro half an hour into their Premier League game at Old Trafford.
At the end of a week during which Romero has been at the centre of attention after he publicly condemned the Spurs hierarchy for their failure to invest in the squad, the Argentina defender once again left Frank to defend him
According to the Premier League Match Centre, Romero's challenge met the threshold for serious foul play because it was "made with excessive force and endangered an opponent".
Former Premier League official Darren Cann agreed with the decision.
"Romero makes a forceful challenge on Casemiro which is, in law, undoubtedly a serious foul play tackle," Cann told BBC Sport.
"It was a really excellent decision from referee Michael Oliver, who was brilliantly positioned."
Not even Frank could argue Oliver was wrong to send Romero off.
"The red card is a red card," he said. "But I have watched it back five times, he clearly tried to go for the ball."
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario also defended his team-mate on TNT Sports.
"He's our captain and today he made a mistake," he said. "But we know the player he is.
"He's going to come back stronger, for sure, and he'll help us throughout the rest of the season."
But Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy was clear Romero "let his team-mates down", adding: "It is irresponsible, especially after a week where he's been talking about recruitment and a lack of players.
"He's the captain, the leader - he needs to do better."
Frank has made it clear Romero will still be captain when he returns for that Liverpool game, which will split two Champions League last-16 ties, when Juventus and Atletico Madrid are two of the four opponents they could meet.
In the meantime, he must hope for more level heads because Romero's dismissal led to another defeat. And, with local rivals West Ham starting to pick up points, the spectre of relegation is far too close for comfort.