To conclude a very encouraging campaign, Tottenham Hotspur finished fourth in the gigantic league table. On matchday eight, thanks to second half goals from Randal Kolo Muani against his former club and then Dominic Solanke, the Lilywhites beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 at Waldstadion.
Having won all four home matches without conceding, Spurs collected 17 points in total, their sole defeat coming against holders Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes. So now, in the last 16, Tottenham will now take on the winners of either Galatasaray vs Juventus or Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid; they'll find out who on 27 February.
This is in complete contrast to their Premier League form. Last weekend's last-gasp draw at Turf Moor leaves them 14th, without a win in five, claiming victory from just two of their last 14 outings. With that context in mind, here are three winners and two losers from Spurs in the Champions League.
Winner: Thomas Frank
Thomas Frank is the obvious primary winner from Tottenham's Champions League campaign because, frankly, without it, he would not be in a job anymore. Spurs have only beaten Brentford and Crystal Palace in the league since October, and are just eight points above the relegation zone. They've also recently helped Bournemouth end an 11 match winless streak, before West Ham won for the first time in ten; Dr Tottenham will see you now.
In February, Spurs will face Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle and then Arsenal, which won't be easy to say the least. Thus, it remains to be seen if Frank will still be at the helm by the time the last 16 rolls around, despite having done so well in the league phase.
Loser: Mathys Tel
One man unlikely to feature in the round of 16 in March though is Mathys Tel. After arriving on loan last January, the Frenchman's move from Bayern Munich was made permanent for £30 million. Thus, it was an early blow when he was excluded from Spurs' UEFA squad back in September.
No bother, after Richarlison picked up an injury, he was added to the squad, thereby seeing 32 minutes of action against Slavia Prague. However, after Dominic Solanke returned to fitness, Tel was discarded again, thereby not eligible to feature in either January fixture. This has reportedly created tension between player and manager, with Tel purportedly asking to leave on loan this month in an attempt to force his way into France's World Cup plans, but seemingly will not be allowed to do so.
Winner: Dominic Solanke
We've just mentioned him, but Dominic Solanke's return is a major boost for Tottenham. He scored on matchday seven and eight against Borussia Dortmund and Frankfurt, having not found the net since the final day of last season beforehand. In fairness, the England international had seen just 49 minutes of action this season due to ankle surgery, prior to his return against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
Since his comeback, Solanke has made a real difference, a clear upgrade on Kolo Muani, Richarlison or Tel when it comes to simple but effective centre-forward tasks. His two Champions League goals should give the striker confidence to rediscover his best form.
Loser: Tottenham's opponents
They say league tables never lie, but that may not be the case when it comes to the Champions League. Tottenham's eight opponents ultimately finished 11th, 17th, 21st, 23rd, 31st, 33rd, 34th and 35th, suggesting they did not come up against the crème de la crème of what Europe has to offer.
English club's Champions League opponents difficulty rating
Premier League clubs | UCL points accumulated by opponents |
|---|---|
Tottenham Hotspur | 60 |
Manchester City | 76 |
Liverpool | 84 |
Newcastle United | 85 |
Arsenal | 89 |
Chelsea | 92 |
Tottenham's eight opponents accumulated an average of just 7.5 points across the league phase. This is by far the fewest of any English side while, for comparison, Paris Saint-Germain's eight opponents picked up 14.6 points, which includes Spurs themselves of course.
It also is not a good look for European football in general that five of the top eight, as well as half of the top 12, are from the Premier League. The German media called Dortmund's meek defeat in North London shameful, given that they were swatted aside by a struggling Premier League outfit.
Winner: Tottenham's hopes of another European adventure
Having said all of that, by finishing fourth, the Europa League holders have given themselves the best possible chance of another elongated continental escapade. They will be at home for the second leg in the last 16 as well as the quarter-finals, should they get that far.
Well, none of Galatasaray, Juve, Atleti or Brugge are unstoppable, with Colchoneros having lost seven times already this season, while the Old Lady from Turin is down in fifth in Serie A. Tottenham have only ever featured in three European Cup quarter-finals, doing so in 1962, 2011 and 2019, but could be on course to add to this tally.