Maddison inspires Spurs to first league win of the season

James Maddison made a sensational return to Tottenham’s starting line-up on Monday, scoring a spectacular goal as Roberto De Zerbi’s side beat Coventry 3-1 for their first Premier League win of the season.

Maddison was making his first start in 17 months, and Dejan Kulusevski returned to the matchday squad after missing the whole of last season, The Express Tribune reported, citing AFP. The win lifts Spurs to 16th in the table.

Spurs came into the match bottom of the league and the only team in England’s top six divisions without a league win this season, despite a huge summer outlay.

How the goals went in

• 14th minute: Maddison received the ball from Mohammed Kudus just outside the area and curled it past Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth into the top corner
• 49th minute: newly promoted Coventry levelled when Jack Rudoni’s first effort hit a teammate and fell back to him to drive home
• 58th minute: Manchester City loanee Omar Marmoush held off Milan van Ewijk and lashed in a powerful shot from distance for his first goal for the club
• Added time: veteran Ben Davies, on as a substitute, poked home from the edge of the area to make the points safe

Kulusevski, whose career was interrupted by a knee injury in May 2025, came off the bench in the final minutes to a huge ovation.

Maddison’s comeback

Maddison ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in August 2025, three months after injuring the same knee.

“I just wanted to play well, I just wanted to show my qualities and show what I bring to the team and what the team’s missed in the last 18 months,” he told Sky Sports.

“I’m 29, I’ve still got plenty of years left, and I have a lot of self-belief, and I know that I have quality that can really help us in this league,” he said, as Spurs try to avoid a repeat of last season, when they narrowly escaped relegation.

De Zerbi had taken his squad to Marbella in southern Spain for warm-weather training to kickstart their season, and it paid off against Frank Lampard’s competitive Coventry side.

City “pretty calm” at the top

At the other end of the table, Manchester City defender Marc Guehi said the squad was “pretty calm” despite the club being found guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules.

City have won all seven of their opening league games under new manager Enzo Maresca and lead champions Arsenal by three points. No punishment has been announced, and City, who deny wrongdoing, are appealing.

“There’s a lot of relaxed faces because we have a lot of trust and belief in the football club and what’s been going on here,” Guehi said before City’s Champions League match at home to AEK Athens on Tuesday. Their only defeat this season was a 4-2 Champions League loss to holders Paris Saint-Germain.

Why it matters

The win buys De Zerbi much-needed breathing space, and a fit Maddison gives Spurs the creativity they have missed. City, meanwhile, keep winning while the threat of sanctions hangs over them. Read our report on Arsenal’s late win at Forest.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune and AFP.