Brennan Johnson, Pape Sarr and Dominic Solanke were all on target as 10-man Tottenham kicked off their UEFA Europa League campaign with a 3-0 win over Qarabag.

The hosts suffered a series of twists and turns early in the evening, when a 35-minute delay to kick-off due to serious travel disruptions was followed after eight minutes by a straight red card for Radu Dragusin.

It didn’t seem to bother The Lilywhites as they took the lead just four minutes later when Johnson scored his third goal in his last three appearances after good work from Solanke.

Ange Postecoglou’s men made it a goal seven minutes into the second half when Sarr smashed the ball in after a right corner.

However, Qarabag remained a major threat, with Juninho hitting the post and Toral Bayramov hitting the crossbar with a missed penalty.

The Azerbaijani minnows somehow failed to register on the scoresheet and Solanke made sure of the points with a simple tap-in 22 minutes from time.

The only sour note on a positive evening for Spurs was the withdrawal of captain Son Heung-Min ahead of Sunday’s Premier League visit to Manchester United.

It’s fair to say that this was quite an eventful evening marking Spurs’ return to European football after a year’s absence.

The uncertainty about the kick-off, Dragusin’s absence and then the impressive performance of the ten men made for a rollercoaster affair, in which Qarabag also had his moments.

Given the twists and turns, Postecoglou will be happy to have come through an evening of potential banana peels on a positive note.

Tottenham are considered one of the favorites and strongest sides in the competition, and many supporters see this as a trophy that could end their long spell.

Postecoglou has claimed he always wins silverware in his second season, so could this be the year for The Lilywhites as they attempt to lift a trophy they also won in 1972 and 1984?

There’s a long way to go and probably fewer bizarre nights, but considering the circumstances this was a solid start.

Dominic Solanke (Tottenham). The striker worked tirelessly, held the ball well and scored with a goal and an assist. Saw his start at Spurs hampered by injury but is now starting to show his worth in a white shirt.

TOTTENHAM: Vicario 8, Van de Ven 8, Gray 8, Dragusin 3, Davies 7, Bissouma 8, Sarr 8, Bergvall n/a, Johnson 8, Solanke 8*, Son 7. Subs: Udogie 8, Kulusevski 7, Bentancur 6, Werner 6 , Moore n/a

QARABAG: Kochalski 7, Huseynov 7, Bayramov 7, Mustafazada 7, Cafarquliyev 6, Silva 7, Zoubir 7, Romao 7, Andrade 7, Benzia 7, Juninho 8. Subs: Addai 6, Andrade 6, Jankovic n/a, Huseynov n/a A.

08′ – TOTTENHAM RED CARD! Radu Dragusin brings down Juninho after the attacker pinches the ball on the center circle. He was clean-through, so the referee has no choice but to send him off the field.

12′ – GOAL! – Tottenham 1-0 Qarabag: (Johnson). Johnson coolly slots a low finish into the far corner after a nice challenge from Solanke allowed him to beat the Welshman inside the penalty area.

52′ – GOAL! – Tottenham 2-0 Qarabag: (Sarr). The 10 men double their lead. It’s a clever volley at Sarr’s far post after Mateusz Kochalski had fluttered a right corner.

58′ – QARABAG PENALTY MISS! – Bayramov sends Vicario the wrong way, but hits his penalty over the top via the crossbar.

68′ – GOAL! – Tottenham 3-0 Qarabag: (Solanke). It’s a tap-in for Solanke after the goalkeeper spilled Son’s 25-yard shot.