James Maddison return proved vital as Tottenham Hotspur secured their first win of the season to lift away from the bottom on Monday as they beat Coventry City 3-1. The England international gave his first start in 17 months a brilliant opening, putting his side in a position for a much needed result for Roberto De Zerbi’s side who had been stymied by the summer investment.
Maddison came up with the right idea in the 14th minute, curling a wonderful finish into the top corner after Mohammed Kudus had laid a long ball to her. After spending a long period on the bench, the 29-year-old was keen to make a big impression. When he came back to the starting lineup, Maddison said he just wanted to play well, just wanted to demonstrate what he could do and his stuff.
The midfielder had a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in August 2025. He had a lot to give Tottenham despite the long recovery period and he was convinced that he’s going to be able to contribute to the club’s progress. Jack Rudoni ended Tottenham’s dominance by converting a loose ball to level the game four minutes after half-time, causing Coventry to come back into the game.
It was a Tottenham comeback, though, in the 58th minute as Omar Marmoush fired a long-range shot for the hosts to get back in control. The Manchester City loaner was the difference as the visitors sought to get all three points.
Then veteran defender Ben Davies sealed the win with a stoppage-time goal to give De Zerbi some breathing room in the end as he secured a convincing scoreline. The win saw Tottenham move to 16th in the Premier League after a poor opening to the season that put them under pressure.
