Premier League clubs have created Champions League history, with five qualifying for the knockout stage.
Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham have all progressed, making England the first country to have five teams in the competition’s last 16.
This was also the first time the Premier League had five representatives in the group stage, United earning their place by winning the Europa League last season.
Most points and most wins
English sides have been dominant in the group stages.
Tottenham topped a tough Group H that also included Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, finishing on 16 points – more than any other team managed in the group stage.
Liverpool were the second-highest scorers, hitting 23 goals in their six games. Only PSG (25) managed more, and three of the top six scorers were Premier League clubs.
Most goals scored in the group stage
Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham all finished top of their groups. It is the first time since 2006-07 that four English teams have finished first in a single group campaign.
And the English clubs’ collective win percentage – 70% – has only been bettered twice – in 2013-14 (English clubs with 70.8%) and 2014-15 (Spanish clubs with 70.8%).
Has any country had five teams in the Champions League before?
Once – Spain in 2015-16, when Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia were joined by Europa League winners Sevilla.
Barcelona and the two Madrid clubs won their respective groups, but Valencia and Sevilla failed to reach the knockout stage.
Barca lost in the quarter-finals to Atletico, who were beaten in the final by city rivals Real on penalties.
Is this the first time all English clubs have progressed?
No. Since the Champions League returned to a one-group-stage format in 2003-04, it has happened seven times in 14 years.
Prior to this season, it last happened in 2013-14, when Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all went through.
What happens when all English clubs reach the knockout stage?
Good things, usually.
In five of the six previous seasons that all of the English clubs involved have reached the knockout stage, at least one has made it to the final.
The only time that did not happen was in 2013-14, when Chelsea were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals.
Going on to win the competition has proved a little more tricky. The only triumphs were in 2004-05 (Liverpool) and 2007-08 (Manchester United).
Still, an English side reaching the final this season would mark significant progress after five barren years.
Source : BBC
