Cristian Romero’s red card condemned Tottenham to another damaging defeat.

Tottenham Hotspur slumped to a deeply frustrating 2-0 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon. As the match unfolded, Spurs competed reasonably well for the opening half-hour before Cristian Romero’s reckless red card changed everything.

Bryan Mbeumo gave United the lead in the 38th minute following a well-worked corner routine, capitalizing on Tottenham’s numerical disadvantage after Romero’s 29th-minute dismissal for a dangerous challenge on Casemiro. Bruno Fernandes sealed the points with an 81st-minute strike as Spurs battled valiantly with ten men but ultimately couldn’t overcome their self-inflicted handicap. The result leaves Tottenham on 29 points from 25 matches, firmly embroiled in a relegation battle and facing an increasingly desperate situation.

Despite showing defensive resilience for long periods after going down to ten men, Tottenham’s lack of attacking threat and Romero’s moment of madness proved decisive. Frank’s side created virtually nothing going forward and now face the prospect of being without their captain for four crucial matches, including the North London Derby.

In the end, Tottenham left Old Trafford with nothing after another display of self-destructive behavior that has characterized their disastrous season, with serious questions remaining...