Tottenham Hotspur have a point to prove tonight, after losing to the Gunners.
Christian Eriksen has told The Guardian that Tottenham Hotspur’s status in the Champions League this season is a reminder not to write off Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Tottenham visit Borussia Dortmund in Germany tonight as the North Londoners look to maintain their unbeaten record in Group H and protect their spot as top dogs, ahead of Real Madrid in second.
However, the Lilywhites go into the encounter on the back of a morale-sapping 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in the North London derby, in a disappointing performance which surprised many after beating Madrid, the European champions, 3-1 last month.
When the draw was made, Spurs, who finished third in their group last season, were fancied to drop into the Europa League again, but Eriksen says that their pedigree in the Champions League has proven that they can mix it with Europe’s finest, despite the underwhelming display at the Emirates.
“People looked at our group at the start with Real Madrid and Dortmund and said that we’re going to have a tough time and end up in the Europa League,” he told The Guardian.
“But we’ve shown that we’re better than that and we can compete in the Champions League.”
The Argentine manager might move to rotate his first XI somewhat, having already guaranteed Tottenham’s progression into the last 16 for the first time in seven years.
Eriksen is right. Although they flattered to deceive against the Gunners, nobody can deny that Spurs are a rising force domestically and on the continent, and another win over Dortmund – whom they beat 3-1 earlier in the competition – will serve as another reminder of that.
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