It took until the seventh round, but Tottenham finally have a Premier League win to their name. Roberto De Zerbi’s side beat Coventry City 3-1 in north London on Monday night and climbed from 20th to 16th. Before kick-off they had been the only club in the division still waiting for three points, after three draws and three defeats.
The evening belonged to two men coming back from long injuries. James Maddison, in his first league start for Spurs since April 2025 after tearing a cruciate ligament, needed only 14 minutes to make his mark, meeting a pass from Mohammed Kudus first time and sending it into the top corner. Near the end, the 60,913 spectators also cheered Dejan Kulusevski, who was sent on as a substitute and played for the first time after more than 17 months out.
Coventry did not make it easy. Spurs thought they had doubled the lead before the break, but Dominic Solanke’s finish was ruled out because Andy Robertson had strayed offside. Four minutes into the second half, Jan Paul van Hecke gave the ball away and Jack Rudoni bundled his way through to equalise.
Nine minutes later Omar Marmoush, borrowed from Manchester City in the summer, put Tottenham back in front with a curling drive, opening his account for the club. The visitors were furious, arguing that the forward had struck van Ewijk in the face just before shooting, yet the referee let it count. Deep into stoppage time, Ben Davies settled it with a scuffed left-footed effort that squeezed under the goalkeeper’s glove.
Both clubs now have six points, with Tottenham ahead on goal difference. The expected-goals figures were almost level, but on this occasion Spurs simply finished better.
