Spurs recover from weekend defeat with fantastic display
Tottenham Hotspur 4 - 0 Copenhagen
Ten-man Tottenham delivered a stirring Champions League display as they swept aside Copenhagen to stay unbeaten in the competition
Author | Greg S
Stadium | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
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Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert put Spurs firmly in control before Johnson’s dismissal for a late challenge on Marcos Lopez briefly threatened to derail their momentum.
Any fears were quickly silenced when Van de Ven produced a moment of extraordinary brilliance. Collecting the ball deep inside his own half, the defender surged past five Copenhagen players before slotting home with the composure of a seasoned striker – a goal destined to feature among the best of the season.
It was a defiant response from a side booed off after their limp 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend. This time, Spurs’ supporters were on their feet, applauding as Joao Palhinha added a fourth after fine work from Cristian Romero.
Tottenham could have had a fifth in stoppage time, but Richarlison’s penalty cannoned off the crossbar to spare the visitors further punishment.
For Van de Ven, the night was a personal redemption after footage showed him appearing to ignore manager Thomas Frank’s request to applaud the away fans at Stamford Bridge. Both he and Djed Spence apologised on Monday, and the Dutchman responded in the best possible fashion on the pitch.
The result leaves Tottenham with eight points from four matches, two wins and two draws, ahead of their next test away to holders Paris Saint-Germain on 26 November. At the halfway stage of the league phase, Spurs sit seventh and well placed for a top-eight finish that would see them progress directly to the last 16.
Four days can make all the difference in football
On Saturday, Tottenham looked lifeless, registering just one effort on target in a meek defeat to Chelsea that left Frank under pressure. This time, though, the response was emphatic, as his side produced a performance that had the home support on its feet throughout.
Even when Spurs were reduced to ten men just after the hour mark, there was little sign of panic. Frank replaced the outstanding Xavi Simons with Joao Palhinha to shore up the midfield, and from that point it became a masterclass in how to manage a numerical disadvantage, staying disciplined in defence and sharp on the counter, constantly threatening when they broke forward.
The scoreline might have been even more convincing had Richarlison converted his late penalty, the Brazilian striking the underside of the bar in stoppage time after having already clipped the post earlier in the game.
Thomas Frank responds to a fantastic performance from Spurs.pic.twitter.com/5fClWriKw4
— European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) November 5, 2025
Spurs had set the tone early. They took the lead in the 19th minute when Gabriel Pereira’s loose pass was seized upon by Rodrigo Bentancur, who found Simons. The Dutchman clipped a delightful ball over the Copenhagen back line for Brennan Johnson, scorer of the winning goal in last season’s Europa League final against Manchester United, to round Dominik Kotarski and finish with composure.
Wilson Odobert doubled the lead after Randal Kolo Muani charged down a Kotarski clearance, before Johnson’s red card briefly threatened to change the game’s rhythm. But any tension was eased by Micky van de Ven’s stunning solo strike, and Palhinha’s late goal sealed a dominant win.
For a side that had taken just one point from their previous three league home matches, this was exactly the kind of performance needed to reconnect with their supporters. Even the travelling Copenhagen fans, who sang and bounced throughout despite their team’s heavy defeat, contributed to what was an outstanding European night in north London.
