Five out of five English clubs qualified from the Champions League group stages. Now, they aim to make it into the last eight of the competition. Manchester City and Liverpool are virtually there, while Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea will attempt the historic feat.
Having endured a long-standing barren run in recent seasons, this seems to be the Premier League's year. The five clubs remain in the competition and have avoided defeat in the last 16. They could all make it into the quarter-finals, though Chelsea face a more arduous task after Iniesta and Messi pounced on a grave defensive error.
If ever there were two teams who all but certified their berth in the last eight, those would be Manchester City and Liverpool, who brushed aside Basel (4-0) and Porto (5-0), respectively, both away from home. Barring a huge upset in the return fixture, nobody can doubt their presence in the next stage of the competition.
Tottenham travelled to Turin faced with a Juventus side yet to concede in 2018, no mean feat. Having gone 2-0 down after nine minutes, Pochettino's men reacted to bring the tie level. They showed their potential against Real Madrid in the group stages, and now Spurs have become serious contenders.
It is not completely out of the question to picture Antonio Conte's side putting on a brave show at the Camp Nou. They managed, through their own particular brand of defensive football, to contain Barcelona who, had it not been for an unfortunate mistake and an inspired Lionel Messi, would have left Stamford Bridge with their tails between their legs. The Blues face an uphill battle but they possess plenty of talent in attacking areas to cause serious damage.
The one team who have not performed up to the standard expected of English clubs is Manchester United, who travelled to Sevilla with the aim of avoiding defeat, which they did. A conservative display has raised further questions about Jose Mourinho's team, who have much to thank David De Gea for not falling behind in the tie. The goalless draw severely jeopardizes the Red Devils' hopes of progressing in Europe's elite club competition.
The magic of Champions League nights will do the rest and it is impossible to predict the outcome of the return fixtures. But one thing is for certain: Premier League clubs are back with a compettiive edge that could see all five clubs in the quarter-finals.