5 reasons why Tottenham Hotspur will light up the Champions League in 2017-18
Even as a Tottenham fan myself, there’s no denying that their performance in last season’s Champions League was a massive disappointment. It was their first appearance in Europe’s biggest club competition since the Gareth Bale-driven 2010-11 run, and needless to say, nobody foresaw them being dumped out in the first group stage following losses to Bayer Leverkusen and the resurgent Monaco.
They were still able to finish second in the Premier League, however, meaning 2017-18 will see them get another crack at the Champions League. Will they do any better this season? I’m practically sure of it and I’m sure they’ll be an absolute delight to watch in the competition. Here are five reasons why.
#1 They know what it’s all about now
Last season was Tottenham’s first Champions League appearance since 2010-11, and that side, managed by Harry Redknapp, contained key players like Gareth Bale, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Luka Modric and Michael Dawson – all of whom have now left the club. In fact, seven seasons later, none of the squad members is still at Tottenham.
That meant that last season was the first foray into the tournament for the likes of Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Kieran Trippier. And while the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Christian Eriksen have more experience, this is the first time they’ve been key players at a top club.
Thrown in at the deep end like that, is it any wonder that they didn’t really perform to the best of their abilities? 2016-17’s Champions League was a disappointment, but it will have acted as a vital experience for Tottenham’s young stars.
Losing to the likes of Monaco and Leverkusen will have hurt Spurs, but they now know what it takes to succeed in the Champions League and playing against Europe’s best players – including the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Bernardo Silva – can only have made them want to improve more.
Spurs now have Champions League experience and will be a much tougher out this time around.