Tottenham Hotspur got their Europa League season off to a great start on Thursday, beating Qarabag 3-0 at home. Despite being reduced to 10 men early on due to Radu Dragusin's red card, Spurs dominated. Brennan Johnson continued his scoring streak with his third goal in three games, and second-half strikes from Pape Matar Sarr and Dominic Solanke ensured the win, moving Spurs to fourth place behind Lazio.
Heavy rain and a Met Office yellow weather warning caused chaos for the Qarabag squad and led to severe travel delays, pushing the kickoff back by 35 minutes before Tottenham eventually secured the win.
The wait for kickoff was over 30 minutes, but the action started quickly. Only seven minutes into the match, Dragusin was sent off with a straight red after failing to stop Juninho, who had slipped past him deep in the Spurs territory.
Looking to stabilize the midfield after the red card, Postecoglou swapped Destiny Udogie for Lucas Bergvall. The tactical change paid off quickly; shortly after, Dominic Solanke assisted Brennan Johnson, who calmly slotted the ball past Qarabag goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski for the opening goal.
Even with a numerical disadvantage, Postecoglou's side maintained an aggressive high press, refusing to sit back. This boldness almost cost them, as Juninho nearly exploited the gap in the high defensive line, though he missed a clear opportunity to score in the 40th minute.
Soon after the restart, Pape Matar Sarr made it 2-0 with a sharp volley into the bottom corner, capitalizing on a weak punch from Kochalski. Spurs then had a lucky escape when Yves Bissouma fouled Elvin Cafarquliyev in the box; however, Tural Bayramov's resulting penalty sailed over the crossbar and hit the top of the frame.
The victory was wrapped up in the 68th minute by Dominic Solanke. Mirroring his recent goal against Brentford, the 19-year-old tapped into an open net after Son Heung-Min's effort was saved. Son later left the pitch following a physiotherapy session, marking the end of his involvement in the game.
Despite the loss, Qarabag remained dangerous throughout. Vicario had to pull off two brilliant saves to deny Yassine Benzia and Cafarquliyev, while a header from Juninho was narrowly ruled out for offside.
In the closing stages, the 17-year-old prodigy Mikey Moore made his appearance to the delight of the home fans, though he had little chance to impact a game that had already settled. Reflecting on the match, Postecoglou admitted the early red card and sloppy start weren't ideal, but praised his team's bravery in maintaining a high press with 10 men. Spurs now look ahead to a Premier League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 29, followed by a Europa League trip to face Hungary's Ferencvaros on October 3.