Tottenham Hotspur’s troubles have been the basis of contrived jokes on the internet recently, but they added to the comedy last night with a mistake that will live long in the memory.

There may have been misfortune in Heurelho Gomes slipping and losing his balance after a routine back-pass from Benoît Assou-Ekotto, but he could not be excused from the resulting calamity that will be viewed as symbolic of a faltering team and regime.

Spurs began brightly enough but their brittle defence was once again shown to be substandard and it is not as though they could blame a hostile atmosphere on a mild evening in northeast Italy at a third-empty Stadio Friuli.

Ledley King returned to marshal a defence, alongside Jonathan Woodgate, that had kept just one clean sheet all season, but on this evidence any partnership would have suffered. Only the scampering Aaron Lennon could be absolved from criticism and while Gomes was trying to act decisively to help out his defence, his mishaps had the reverse effect of spreading panic.

The Brazil goalkeeper dropped the ball in the opening two minutes, flapped at other crosses, punched poorly at a shot and was solely culpable for Udinese’s opening goal. Perhaps because of his shaky kicking, he tried to control the back-pass, slipped and found Fabio Quagliarella bearing down on him.

Gomes, far too casually, prodded the ball past the forward to try to kick clear, but managed only to haul down Quagliarella as they tussled for the loose ball in the penalty area. Antonio Di Natale, the outstanding creative player on the pitch, converted from the spot.

Until then, Juande Ramos’s side had attacked with some interest, but their confidence began to evaporate. Gomes claimed partial atonement by pulling off excellent saves from Gaetano D’Agostino and Di Natale, but equally he sent pulses racing by failing to catch a cross and juggling the ball like a clown.

The head coach refuses to betray any emotion behind his granite mask but it was clear that he was livid after this defeat. He must have been alarmed by the unforced errors, but probably angered more by Jamie O’Hara’s dismissal in the second half that pretty much ended Tottenham’s chances of forcing their way back into the game.

O’Hara was brought in to add steel to the midfield — the kind of determination that he showed regularly last season — but first his exuberance, then his stupidity, got the better of him when he twice chopped down Alexis Sánchez inside a minute.

Ramos has further defensive problems, in addition to Michael Dawson’s domestic three-match suspension and subsequent charge of improper conduct after his dismissal away to Stoke City on Sunday, and King’s knee injury. Woodgate’s groin injury, which has nagged him for weeks, finally appears to have got the better of him, because he was not moving with his usual grace and authority and was substituted in the second half.

Darren Bent might have snatched an equaliser in the last five minutes but his header was saved acrobatically by Samir Handanovic, a goalkeeper who was on Tottenham’s shortlist as a successor to Paul Robinson during the summer. Bent had their best other opportunity early in the match, but he met a Jermaine Jenas cross weakly and Handanovic saved easily.

Tottenham’s frailties were illuminated by numerous unnecessary fouls, especially early in the match. Shorn of confidence, the North London club were uncomfortable in possession and timid in front of goal. Alan Hutton, the right back, took fright when a loose ball fell after a corner, and tried to tee up O’Hara, who blazed over after being closed down. Lennon had the beating of Aleksandar Lukovic, without delivering a decent cross.

Udinese, by contrast, were breathtaking and entertaining at times, attacking with verve and invention. They used the full width of the pitch and pulled Tottenham’s full backs out of position with clever diagonal balls. D’Agostino should have added to the lead after Didier Zokora mis-hit a free kick, but Gomes smothered the shot. Di Natale sent a delicate lob that sent Gomes scampering back to palm clear from under the crossbar but in the dying minutes, Quagliarella found Simone Pepe, on as a substitute, and the Italy forward left several Tottenham players strewn on the floor as he slotted in.

Tottenham won this competition 25 years ago for the second time in their history — they could not be farther away from a repeat at present.

Udinese (4-3-3): S Handanovic — M Motta, A Coda, M Domizzi, A Lukovic (sub: G Pasquale, 90min) — G Inler, G D’Agostino, M Isla — A Sánchez (sub: S Pepe, 80), F Quagliarella (sub: A Floro Flores, 88), A Di Natale. Substitutes not used: J Koprivec, L Sala, D Ferronetti, C Obodo. Booked: Lukovic, D’Agostino, Isla.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-5-1): H Gomes — A Hutton, J Woodgate (sub: Giovani dos Santos, 64), L King, B Assou-Ekotto (sub: L Modric, 46) — A Lennon, J Jenas, D Zokora, J O’Hara, G Bale — D Bent. Substitutes not used: C Sánchez, M Dawson, Gilberto, C Gunter, F Campbell. Booked: Gomes, O’Hara, Bale. Sent off: O’Hara.

Referee: F Brych (Germany).