Well that was easier than expected, wasn’t it? When the draw was made and Tottenham were tied against Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund, everyone thought it’d be a tough tie. It certainly wasn’t though, and a strong Champions League run could see Spurs keep their stars.

It’s been looking all doom and gloom in the Premier League to say the very least as Mauricio Pochettino’s side went from almost going two points behind leaders City to now being 10 points off the pace in just a few weeks. Defeats away at Burnley, Chelsea and a draw against Arsenal at the weekend had us all thinking Spurs’ season was destined to be a disaster and the likes of Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane were bound to get bored and leave in summer.

However, we all forgot that small matter of the biggest competition in Europe and how simple Spurs made it look to beat Dortmund 3-0 at home in the first leg. The second game seemed a formality, but you never know considering the team’s reputation of making things difficult for themselves. There were no worries in the 4-0 aggregate win, however, and now what a season 2018/19 can become.

So, why is everyone talking as if its the end of a cycle?

We know Spurs aren’t the best side in Europe, but teams don’t have to be to win the Champions League as we saw with Chelsea in 2012. It’s a mixture of the luck of the draw and then managing to grind out results away from home to make use of home advantage. Spurs could even have their long-awaited new stadium ready for the quarter-final according to Pochettino, so the excitement of a cup run and a new ground could take them all the way.

Kane and Eriksen are hitting the peak of their powers and it’s clear they need to be challenging and winning major honours during the next five years. Many thought that wouldn’t be possible a few weeks ago but this round of 16 tie has proved the squad have the guild and quality to go far in Europe.

A strong run to the semi-final or final could prove to Spurs’ big guns that staying at a club where they’re guaranteed to play may be the best mix of winning trophies and having minutes on the park.

It could make them believe that next season is the one where they can really push on and make something special happen at their new ground. The importance of the Dortmund win cannot be overstated. The importance of the stadium move cannot be overstated.

Tottenham, meanwhile, cannot be understated.

Spurs fans, how excited are you for the future? Do you think this team can improve even more? Join the discussion by commenting below...