Which London team will advance furthest in Champions League?

by London-TV in LondonTV - Latest

Chelsea and Tottenham will compete in the Champions League in the 2022/23 season after finishing third and fourth in the Premier League last term. The Blues have a strong history in the competition, having won the Champions League twice in the last 10 years and reaching the quarter-finals again in the 2021/22 season, where they were narrowly beaten by eventual winners Real Madrid. Tottenham were finalists in 2019 after a brilliant run to the final, but were beaten by Liverpool in an All-England final. However, they were crushed in the round of 16 in their last foray in the tournament in 2020 by RB Leipzig.

It will be an interesting duel between the two London clubs to see which one can advance further in the competition, with Chelsea backed in the odds for a bet on Champions League at 12/1 to win the European crown, while Tottenham are priced at 16/1. There’s not much separating the sides, but they will have to compete with Manchester City, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona, who also harbour ambitions of lifting the title at the end of the season. But which club from London can progress the furthest in the competition?

Chelsea

The Blues have the experience and will have a bitter taste in their mouth after conceding a late goal against Real Madrid in normal time that emboldened Los Blancos to push on for the win in extra-time at the Bernabeu. The addition of Raheem Sterling should provide extra firepower that was lacking in the final third, although he was not overly clinical in the competition for Manchester City.

Improved defensive options should also allow Thomas Tuchel to drive his team into the latter stages. Chelsea’s last run to the Champions League crown in 2021 was a surprise, but Tuchel got the most out of his team, using sound strategy to overcome City in the final along with other leading outfits on the way. The Blues will be reliant on that factor again as player for player there are stronger squads in the Champions League.

Tottenham

Tottenham could have one of the best strikeforces in the Champions League with Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Richarlison. Antonio Conte will be armed with a talented side, and will be looking to coach around his potent forward line to propel Spurs into the latter stages of the competition. Conte himself does not have the best record in the Champions League, winning only 12 out of his 54 games during his tenures at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan.

It could be a concern for Spurs as Conte is a manager who does like to focus on the league and retaining the same line-up. That can lead to fatigue and burnout if not managed effectively. Tottenham do have a depth of options across the squad, which will be more important than ever in a season that features the World Cup. But, the lack of experience in playing elite knockout football could loom large and prevent a deep run, which may see Conte prioritise the Premier League instead.

As a result, Chelsea could be the ones to watch out of the London sides in the Champions League for another surge towards glory.