Can Spurs Win Champions League in 2020?

Tottenham Hotspur came painfully close to European glory last season. Spurs staged a dramatic comeback in the Champions League semifinals with a stirring win over Ajax in Amsterdam, which set the stage for an all-England final between Tottenham and Liverpool. Unfortunately, Liverpool had the last laugh with a 2-0 victory in Madrid. While it wasn’t the result Spurs fans wanted, it still marked the end of an incredible run.

Needless to say, the 2019-20 Premier League campaign has gotten off to an up-and-down start for Mauricio Pochettino’s men. Tottenham have amassed four points through the first three games of the year. Things got started with an easy 3-1 win over Aston Villa in matchweek 1, while Spurs impressively played reigning champions Manchester City to a 2-2 draw in the second game. 

The third game was disappointing, however, as Spurs were beaten 1-0 at home by a relegation candidate in Newcastle United. It’s obviously still far too early in the season to write off Tottenham’s chances of competing for a domestic title but dropping points at the hands of mediocre teams is something they can’t afford to do very often with City and Liverpool expected to be nearly perfect again. 

The best Premier League betting sites have Spurs as third favorites to win the league. City is once again heavily favored, while Liverpool aren’t far behind. Tottenham are typically priced somewhere around 10/1. When it comes to Champions League, though, Spurs are further down the list. The North London side are priced around 25/1 to win Europe’s most prestigious club trophy this season, well behind the likes of City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, etc. 

Can Tottenham get over the hump this term? Or did they miss their chance? 

The Right Manager is in Place

Mauricio Pochettino is thought by many to be among the best managers in the world. Spurs hired the Argentine away from Southampton after the 2013-14 campaign. The move did not make huge headlines at the time, but he has since gone on to become one of the most respected names in managing. Spurs are still in search of their first trophy under Pochettino’s watch, but the club has risen back to respectable levels during his tenure. 

The fact that he is often linked with the most prestigious jobs in Europe is a testament to his quality. There will always be nonstop rumors about the potential interest from Manchester United, especially considering the Red Devils’ drought since the Alex Ferguson era appears to be extending into another season. There was also reportedly mutual interest between Pochettino and Juventus this past summer, but the Italian giants settled on Maurizio Sarri instead. 

It behooves the club to win at least one trophy while Pochettino is still the manager, because he is not guaranteed to stick around for much longer. While Spurs have once again become one of the biggest clubs in the world during his time, there are always greener pastures, and the allure of another top job may prove irresistible at some point. If Spurs are to win Champions League, Pochettino is the man to get them there. 

The Talent is There

Tottenham managed to get all the way through Champions League last season despite being without Harry Kane for much of the tournament. Kane suffered a brutal injury ankle against Manchester City in the round-of-16 that ultimately kept him sidelined for over a month. Kane missed the latter stages of the season, including the aforementioned triumph in Amsterdam.

He was able to return to the pitch for the final, but he proved largely ineffective in his first game back. Kane’s status for the game was in doubt all the way up until kickoff, and some may argue that Pochettino would have been better served using the England captain as a substitute rather than starting him that day. 

Regardless, Spurs will always have a chance as long as Kane is able to stay on the pitch. He has been one of the most prolific goalscorers on the planet over the last handful of years, and Tottenham are obviously more dangerous when he’s at his best firing in front of goal. Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura are perfect complementary pieces to join Kane in attack, and City and Liverpool are the only teams in England that even come close to having comparable talent up front.

Spurs spent money this past summer in order to reinforce the squad. Tanguy Ndombele and Ryan Sessegnon were the big-money signings that should bolster the team this season. There are still rumors surrounding a potential departure for Christian Eriksen, but he seems more likely to stay at this point. 

Conclusion

It’s worth wondering whether Tottenham missed the best chance they’ll ever get at European success on June 1, 2019. Liverpool proved to be the better side that day, but we know Pochettino’s side is resilient enough to make another run. There is no shortage of top-tier clubs standing in between Tottenham and the Champions League trophy, but nothing is impossible in football.