Tottenham had every opportunity in the world to beat Monaco, but that all crumbled as soon as one player came off the pitch. Thomas Frank basically settled the 0-0 when he made the decision to bring Tottenham's MVP off.
This season, Thomas Frank has started quicker than anybody would have expected. While it's not popular to give any new manager praise this season, let's hold our hands in the air and say fair play to Thomas Frank.
Sure, he's not close to fighting for the Premier League title at this stage, but this was never Tottenham's objective. To have only lost two games all season so far is a far cry from Ange's shambles last season. Tottenham's style of play is also much more sustainable than it was under Ange.
And look, one new signing is largely to thank for this. Mohammed Kudus has set the world alight at Hotspur Way, and he's undoubtedly been Tottenham's most important player in the final third.
Mohammed Kudus didn't show up, but that's not Tottenham's excuse
However, Spurs run the risk of relying on Kudus too much. It was clear as day that tonight against Monaco, he was Tottenham's downfall. And he can be forgiven for that, after all, he's been ever so active for Spurs all season so far.
But what cannot be forgiven is no other Tottenham player stepping up during Kudus' off-game. It was almost like the Tottenham attackers were staring at Kudus and telling him to do something. In reality, they should have stepped up themselves.
Wilson Odobert was Spurs' best attacker on the night, but he went off shortly after a suspected knock. Odobert's performance was great, but he can hardly carry the weight of a Champions League game by himself. Kudus could, but again, it wasn't his night.
Richarlison, on the other hand, was physical off the ball, but his work on the ball left a lot to be desired.
Look, it's natural for a club to have its most important player. This isn't just limited to Tottenham, and it's almost impossible to avoid. However, the problem arises when that player is so high on a pedestal that others cannot take the weight when they naturally have off days.
And Kudus always had a mammoth task on his hands. Tottenham lost James Maddison through injury, and Son Heung-min left in the summer. Before Kudus, Madders and Sonny were Spurs' two most important players.
Touch wood, it doesn't happen, but tonight's performance casts an awful light on what might happen at Tottenham if Kudus were to pick up a spell of absence. Could Tottenham replace him in that worst-case scenario?