Tottenham fans won’t believe their starting XI the last time they played a Champions League match

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It’s been over two-and-a-half years since Tottenham last played a game in the Champions League. However, they will end that streak on Tuesday night when they host Villarreal in their opening fixture of this season’s league phase.

After two campaigns away from the Champions League, Tottenham are back in Europe’s elite club competition, courtesy of winning last season’s Europa League.

The last time Spurs played in the Champions League was on 8 March 2023, when they were eliminated in the last 16 by Italian giants AC Milan. Unfortunately, the second leg finished 0-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following a 1-0 win for Milan at the San Siro in the first leg.

We’ve taken a look back at the starting line-up that Antonio Conte picked for Spurs in the Milan draw. Fans may not believe just how many players that played in that match are no longer at the club.

Goalkeeper – Fraser Forster

First up, Fraser Forster was the starting goalkeeper for Spurs during their goalless draw against Milan, which ultimately meant they exited Europe that season.

The veteran gloveman, who was with the North London club between 2022 and 2025, left at the end of his contract in the most recent summer.

Defence – Cristian Romero, Clement Lenglet, Ben Davies

Cristian Romero, who was actually sent off in the Milan fixture, is one of the rare survivors still at the club. He played as part of a back three in Conte’s system the last time Spurs were in the Champions League.

Now club captain, Romero features in the predicted Spurs XI against Villarreal for the midweek European tie.

Clement Lenglet, who spent just one season on loan with Spurs, played in defence against Milan. Incidentally, he’s now at Atletico Madrid after joining them permanently in the summer.

To complete the back three, Ben Davies played as the left-sided central defender. He’s still waiting for his first minutes of the 2025/26 season under current Spurs boss Thomas Frank.

Midfield – Emerson Royal, Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ivan Perisic

Emerson Royal and Ivan Perisic, who now play for Flamengo and PSV Eindhoven, respectively, started as the Spurs wing-backs against Milan.

As for the midfield pivot, Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg operated in the centre of the park. It’s quite telling that Skipp is now playing for Leicester City in the Championship, while Hojbjerg is owned by Marseille.

Back in March 2023, Pape Matar Sarr was an unused substitute in the Milan tie. The difference now is that it feels like he’s one of the first names on the team sheet.

Attack – Dejan Kulusevski, Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son

On paper, the Spurs front three was pretty formidable against Milan, including club legends Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son. Kane is currently scoring goals for fun in Germany with Bayern Munich, while Son left in the summer to join up with Los Angeles FC.

Dejan Kulusevski also started a couple of years ago on the right of the attack, but he’s unavailable right now while he recovers from a serious knee injury.