Tottenham defender Mickey Van de Ven will be absent for their journey to Anfield to face Champions League contenders Liverpool, following his dismissal in the match against Crystal Palace. The Dutch player was shown a red card for preventing a goalscoring opportunity when he brought down Ismaila Sarr after the Senegalese had outmanoeuvred him.
Referee Andrew Madley didn't hesitate in brandishing a straight red card, leaving Spurs with 10 men in a pivotal match for Igor Tudor. It was a frenetic 40 minutes in North London where an initial goal by Sarr was disallowed for offside, as semi-automated offside technology determined that the 28-year-old's face was offside.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Five minutes later, Dominic Solanke broke the deadlock by powerfully driving home following impressive work on the left from Archie Grey, but their lead was short-lived as Van de Ven was dismissed just four minutes later. Sarr stepped up and calmly dispatched the penalty past Gugliermo Vicario, sending the Italian goalkeeper the wrong way.
The elation for interim manager Igor Tudor quickly turned to despair as his captain was sent off early, leaving Spurs a man down for the remaining 50 minutes. With the outcomes of West Ham United and Nottingham Forest's matches on Wednesday, the pressure was mounting on the Croatian's side in North London on Thursday as they faced a struggling Palace team.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
While Jorgen Stand Larsen and Sarr added a second and third to pile the misery on the north Londoners, Tottenham's crisis looks set to continue beyond the mid-week fixture. That's because Van de Ven will be forced to sit out next weekend's visit to Anfield to take on Champions League hopefuls Liverpool.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking on commentary, ex-Spurs goalkeeper Joe Hart said: "Oh dear. Oh goodness me, seeing it on the replay, I think you're going to have to go, Micky.
Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Get More of Our News on Google
Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.
"Strand-Larsen deals with Danso, Sarr gets the wrong side of Van de Ven, his instincts take over, he pulls down the Crystal Palace man, makes no attempt to play the ball that's why it's a red.
"He's holding him, he's holding. The only thing they can clutch onto is Strand-Larsen on Danso but I don't think that's a foul. You can't believe it can you? He doesn't need to do that, he'll be so disappointed."