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'A wonderful finish'

Aston Villa 1-0 Man City

Lucy Ward

Former Leeds striker on TNT Sports

What a wonderful finish that is, Nicolas Jackson has settled here at Villa.

City make a mistake and Villa are up there with the intensity. Quick thinking from John McGinn, and it's a really good finish from Jackson.

GOAL - Aston Villa 1-0 Man City

Nicolas Jackson (6 mins)

Well you can't say that hasn't been coming!

It's poor from Marc Guehi as he mis controls the ball, taking a touch before it ricochets off his other leg and John McGinn pounces before finding Nicolas Jackson.

He picks his spot and slots into the bottom corner. It's turning into a good season for Jackson.

'It's a huge challenge against the best team in the league'

Aston Villa v Man City (12:30 BST)

Aston Villa

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, speaking to TNT Sports on taking confidence from his side's Champions League win against Viking on Wednesday: "Every game we are playing is giving us more information about how we can get stronger and how we can feel more comfortable collectively and deliver it.

"The European matches we've played and won were fantastic but now the Premier League is our priority so hope we can use those matches to improve, and show today against the best team is a huge, huge challenge today we have."

On Man City: "They are a team who play trying to dominate, trying to impose positioning, skills, structure tactically with the ball so we must be so intense in our focus and action individually, duels and recovery playing in our structure.

"When we can have the ball, try as well to have momentum, dominating, keeping the ball and trying to stop them and trying to threaten them. It's a huge challenge collectively and individually against the best team in the league."

On Johan Manzambi: "Each match he's playing with us is experience. It's an opportunity to give us his skills, his good work in his task, he's very important to us tactically how we are collectively thinking.

"His quality is there, how he is understanding better and better playing matches our structure tactically, his task is very, very important."

'Manzambi is like a Swiss army knife'

Aston Villa v Man City (12:30 BST)

Owen Hargreaves

Former Manchester United midfielder on TNT Sports

Johan Manzambi is like a Swiss army knife, he can do everything. If you could create a player this kid has got everything.

Every time he steps up he just gets better. He has potential do anything he wants in the game, he could be one of the best in the world if he wants to be.

Cherki 'one of best players in Europe'

Aston Villa v Man City (12:30 BST)

Manchester City spent half of their Champions League match against AEK Athens showboating and Rayan Cherki was at the forefront of that.

In a comfortable 5-1 win against the Greek side on Tuesday, Cherki showed off his skills in front of a delighted home crowd.

Former City boss Pep Guardiola expressed his dislike of trickery for the sake of it and Enzo Maresca seemed to agree. But he has also said Cherki is currently "one of the best players in Europe".

The Frenchman has started this season in impressive fashion for City, scoring six goals and providing two assists in 11 matches so far.

"I like when the players are happy, 100%," said Maresca. "I also like simple things.

"The most difficult thing in football is to do the easy things - don't complicate it. Sometimes players that are so good like Rayan, they can do that. In this moment, Rayan is one of the best players in Europe.

"When he is in the right position - that means when we are able to find him between the lines - he is always dangerous and he has the quality in the box.

"If we are able to keep him there and find him between the lines and in the right position, he is one of the best players in Europe."

Arsenal have scored five goals in six Women's Super League (WSL) games this season - the joint-second lowest tally in the division.

They might well be grateful, then, to be facing a team on Saturday that have conceded 12 goals in their past two matches.

It just so happens that team is fierce rivals Tottenham.

But Spurs have their own fires to fight, given their decent start to the WSL campaign has gone up in flames.

This is a north London derby that could define both teams' seasons.

The first six games have been galling for under-pressure Arsenal boss Renee Slegers, particularly given pre-season talk of a serious title push.

The facts do not make for pleasant reading for Arsenal and their fans:

No victory since the opening day at Brighton

Toothless home draws with promoted Birmingham and Crystal Palace

Defeats at pre-season title rivals Chelsea and Manchester City mean they are nine points off Champions League qualification

Eighth in the table on the same tally as West Ham, Aston Villa and Palace

That said, on one level Slegers can feel hard done by.

After all, Arsenal have hit the woodwork more times than anyone else (five), had the joint-most touches in the opposition box (283) and created the third-highest number of chances (93).

However, their shot conversion rate of 5.9% is comfortably the worst in the division, with leaders Manchester City's at 16.7%. The statistic is more staggering given the quality they possess in Alessia Russo, Stina Blackstenius and Olivia Smith among others.

"You can't question the commitment of the players, but they are trying to walk it in," England's record goalscorer Ellen White told the BBC's Women's Football Weekly podcast. "They are creating opportunities but look a little lost, a bit desperate.

"It's going to be a very uncomfortable day. I don't think a draw is enough."

Slegers has been searching for solutions to the lack of goals, retaining the same front four in her starting XI just once in all competitions

She has made more substitutions than any other manager too, including using her full complement of five in all but one match. But to little avail.

Where to use last season's top scorer Russo is a conundrum, given she has yet to ignite either as a central striker or in the number 10 role.

Losing team heartbeat Mariona Caldentey for up to 10 weeks with a hamstring issue has been another disruption.

"We all know they have the individual quality, but for whatever reason it's not clicking," said former England captain Steph Houghton.

In some respects, Tottenham are perfect opponents for Arsenal.

While Martin Ho has helped Spurs ascend the table since his arrival at the start of last season, they still only have one win in 13 WSL matches against the Gunners - although they did hold them to a goalless draw at home last season.

Ten points from their opening four games with just two goals conceded was a terrific start to 2026-27, but 6-1 and 6-2 defeats by London City Lionesses and Chelsea respectively have provided a thumping reality check.

Even though Spurs flirted with the top three for much of last season, Ho believes his side are not ready for that step.

"We're not at that level yet. People don't like to hear it but it's the honest truth," he said.

"We need to understand and accept that because if we don't, we're putting unrealistic expectations on ourselves."

Prior to those losses, it was looking promising at Tottenham, who have picked up their own share of big wins against Crystal Palace (7-0) and Aston Villa (4-0) and demonstrated the clinical edge so lacking in their north London neighbours.

Attackers Signe Gaupset, Olivia Holdt and Kirsty Hanson have all scored two or more in the WSL already this season while five-goal Victoria Pelova has been the standout player.

Given she arrived in the summer from Tottenham's north London rivals - and has scored as many by herself as the entire Arsenal team - she will have her own motivation to pile more misery onto her former employers.

"I didn't get a lot of minutes last year with Arsenal," Pelova told BBC Sport. "I get more freedom here and I feel full trust from my team-mates and the staff.

"We have to beat them."

Denmark playmaker Holdt, who scored a hat-trick against Crystal Palace in September, told BBC Radio 5 Live Drive that hosting the derby at the men's stadium could be an advantage.

"It's amazing we have the possibility to play there," she said. "We'll feel it in the game with all the fans supporting us and not Arsenal.

"It's an opportunity for us to play some good football."

At this early stage, Manchester City, Chelsea and London City have put daylight between themselves and the rest.

That leaves both Spurs and Arsenal needing wins to realistically stand any chance of overhauling them in the race for Champions League football next season - starting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Spurs supporter Ebony Riddell Bamber from Women of the Lane says there was a "huge sense of relief" after Tottenham's 3-1 win against Coventry City.

Roberto de Zerbi's side picked up their first win of the season on Monday and scored as many goals as they had in the campaign to date.

Reflecting on the performance, Bamber told BBC Radio London: "There was a huge sense of relief and it was great to walk home with a massive smile on my face.

"All-in-all it wasn't plain sailing, but there are plenty of positives for us to take into the next very big fixture against Chelsea.

"The subs made a difference because it felt like the energy levels were dropping a little bit and they got us over the line."

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Tottenham fan Kish Patel praises midfielder James Maddison, as he made his first start in 18 months, scoring against Coventry City to help his side to a 3-1 win for their first Premier League win of the season.

Get more Tottenham news here.

'It is just the beginning'

FT: Tottenham 3-1 Coventry

Tottenham Hotspur

Omar Marmoush speaking to BBC Sport: "We are so, so happy. We have had good performances in that last week but haven't go the end result of a win. Very happy to win our first game today also happy to score my first goal for Tottenham. We will build on this.

On his goal: "I am very happy it paid off but I am more happy for the three points we got today.

On recent form: "I mean every game we learn. As you said we've played amazing in the first few weeks but the result wasn't there. It is just the beginning."

On Coventry: "They're a very good team, good on transitions. Ben's goal got us the three points and got the game to clam down."

On the team: "Yeah I feel amazing. With the coach, he helps us all and teaches us small details. He also helps us on a personal basis. I love the intensity and passion that he brings. We believe in the system that we play in. On the pitch we are like a big family and we will fight for each other until the end."

'We can come away with our head held high on performance'

FT: Tottenham 3-1 Coventry

Coventry City

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard speaking to Sky Sports after the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur: "Yeah very disappointed. The first half I thought we were really good. Hard to say after a 3-1 defeat. I think the last goal was obviously a mistake. I think it distorts the picture of the game. I think the players showed a belief in how they were playing, we were a threat right up until the end. When you consider where we are, we have come up from the Championship. I think we've progressed in this first period of games. We came up against a fully loaded squad. Eight of the boys who started, played for us last year at the Championship. I just thought they showed real personality in how they played. The last goal changes the feel slightly but it shouldn't do in terms of how we performed."

On the one shot on target: "Football isn't it? I wouldn't get sold on the target thing. I'd get sold on the overall play and the feel. They knew and the stadium knew how the game was going. We were a threat right until the end. Really positive on how we played. Kept pushing, kept pushing. Sometimes what happened at the end, couldn't happen. You come here against a strong team, I've watched them play. Their results do not line up with how they're playing. When you see the quality they have got there. We were more than competing in the game for me. We are never happy with a defeat, I don't want to over praise it, but I can be honest here and with the players in the dressing room and say we can come away with our head held high on performance. If two quality players stick the ball in the goal and we had our chances then sometimes that is the cruel side of football I guess."

On next games: "Keep our feet on the ground because performance was good but we can get better. Every game is challenging. Fulham are coming at the weekend that will be a real challenge for us. We won't be defined on certain defeats away from home. Just try and grow from that."

'We are a very good team'

FT: Tottenham 3-1 Coventry

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi, speaking to BBC Sport: "I am delighted for the result, the attitude, the spirit and the reaction after the goal we conceded. Honestly we did not play so well like the last games. But now for our responsibility they deserve credit as they defended very well and compact.

"When we went outside from Kudus and Robertson we didn't push the ball with the right speed. We were too predictable maybe playing three at the back. We played three at the back for injury reasons, first of all.

"We play with Kudus right wing and Robertson left wing and with three number 10 with different characteristics. We scored two goals with these players but we can't forget Solanke as he played very well.

"Fantastic moment and fantastic human (Dejan) we celebrated him in the dressing room after the game. He is maybe the most important thing after this win.

"Now we have to understand we are able to win because after two or three seasons like this the mental aspect is crucial. We have to thank the fans, especially in the last part of the game they were fantastic, They have suffered a lot. We have to push, we have to improve the quality of the play for sure but we are a good team, a very good team."

Post

FT: Tottenham 3-1 Coventry

Coventry City

Coventry City midfielder Jack Rudoni speaking to Sky Sports after the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur: "Yeah it's frustrating, we felt we did well as a team. We took the game plan to them well. At the end it really could've been 2-2. We've got to take the positives. We have a big game on Saturday so we'll just look at the positives and get ready for that."

One shot on target: "Yeah maybe the clinical edge and sometimes stuff just doesn't fall for you and that's football. All we can do is keep applying the pressure and working hard in the right areas and stuff. We're away from home. They're a good team. They're league position probably doesn't reflect where they are.

"Maybe we dropped a little bit deep, I don't know. It's frustrating to concede after we got the equaliser. It was tough. You just have to work hard to keep solid and get a second. But like I said they have quality, we have to nullify that as much as we can. I thought we applied pressure well and on another night it's 2-2 and we come away with a point."

On next few games: "I think we've shown we can compete and like you say it's the little differences like shots on target. We've shown we can compete we just needs to get points on the board. We need to really get points on the board."

'I wanted to show my quality to the team'

FT: Tottenham 3-1 Coventry

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder James Maddison speaking to Sky Sports after the win against Coventry: "Yeah I hoped [to start]. I spoke to the gaffer about this week and feeling like the right moment for me to go back into the starting 11 after a stop-start, start to the season. I just wanted to show my quality and show what the team's missed in the last 18 months since my last start. The gaffer asked me to play and said he wanted to enjoy watching me from the side so hopefully I did that. And getting the goal is always nice."

On his strike: "They're just a bit blurry. They're the ones you dream of. Recovering from the ACL last year, those dark days. There the ones you dream of, those goals. Always the light at the tunnel for you. And for Dejan Kulusevski I felt proud for him because I knew exactly how he felt. Those moments and those goals they make it all worth it."

On his game position: "That's where I operate best, in the pockets on the outside of the lines. I was popping up on the left, right and centrally. And that's where I'm at my best. Between the lines and being able to pick up the pockets of space and that's where the goal came from."

'Proud of the performance'

FT: Tottenham 3-1 Coventry

Coventry City

Coventry boss Frank Lampard, speaking to BBC Sport: "Very pleased with the performance. We were in the game to say the least. Two outstanding goals for them, the second was questionable because the arm up in the face but quality finish.

"I am proud of the performance. 3-1 feels nasty at the end because of the last goal. We created some good moments. We wanted to start well as they start well in every game they have played here but haven't got what they deserved.

"The feeling and flow of the game we were brave and getting people up on their top line. Individuals were showing their quality with Rudoni and Thomas-Asante - eight of the boys played in the Championship last year and now they have shown they have grown.

"I don't like the fixture list game, they are all hard. Are we happy? We will always want more, we feel there's a couple more points we felt we could have had."

Roberto de Zerbi has used all the tools at his disposal to discover the missing spark in struggling Tottenham Hotspur, from acting as an amateur psychologist to team bonding dinners, then a sunshine break in Marbella.

The answer, at least when Spurs finally moved off the bottom of the table with their first Premier League win this season against Coventry City, came in the shape of James Maddison as he made his first start in 18 months.

He missed most of last season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in pre-season, before fracturing his shoulder in the opening-weekend defeat at Brentford in this campaign.

The 29-year-old finally made it back into the Spurs starting line-up to face Coventry - and delivered in spectacular style to set them on the way to a 3-1 victory that De Zerbi hopes will finally give their season lift-off.

Maddison could barely keep the smile from his face as he warmed up, then made his mark in the 14th minute by showing what Spurs have been missing with a brilliant right-foot finish from 20 yards, taking Mohammed Kudus' pass first time to arc a sweeping strike high beyond Coventry City keeper Carl Rushworth.

It was a moment of sweet relief for Maddison, the goal getting loud gasps of admiration from Spurs supporters as it was shown several times on the stadium's big screens.

Even though the goal came against his former club, Maddison celebrated with his trademark imaginary dart throwing motion before kissing the badge on his Spurs shirt.

Maddison's significance to Spurs is illustrated by the fact they had won just 12 out of 57 Premier League games since his last top-flight goal, in a 1-0 victory against Manchester United in February 2025. They had averaged less than a point a game since then.

And since his last start, at Liverpool on 27 April 2025, Spurs had won only 11 of 49 league games in between, losing 23.

Spurs cannot kid themselves that this was a glorious victory. It was actually only their sixth win in the past 37 home league games - drawing 10 and losing 21 - and just their fourth league victory overall in 2026, having played 27, drawn 10 and lost 13.

And it was the first time they scored three goals or more at home in the league since the opening day of last season, when they beat Burnley 3-0 in Thomas Frank's first game in charge.

There are still too many nerves around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and in De Zerbi's team for calm and relaxation.

The victory margin flattered them somewhat, with Jack Rudoni equalising for Coventry City before Omar Marmoush's strike for his first goal for the club, then another from Ben Davies in stoppage time after a dreadful Rushworth error finally allowed Spurs to enjoy the relief of victory.

And there were other things to celebrate. As well as Maddison's successful return to the starting line-up, there was the sight of Dejan Kulusevski finally back as an 87th-minute replacement for Kudus after 526 days out with a knee injury.

Maddison got a deserved standing ovation when he was substituted for Conor Gallagher after 69 minutes, but the reception for Kulusevski was arguably even more rapturous as he finally took to the pitch again after such a long battle to regain fitness.

It was Maddison, however, who claimed the major plaudits after he was the driving force behind the win that has proved so elusive - his positive approach playing with a smile on his face provides refreshment of its own after such a depressing sequence of results.

He was eager to get on the ball, was constantly probing and prompting, all before he inevitably tired after the break.

"I spoke to the gaffer this weekend about it, feeling like it was the right moment for me to go back into the starting XI after a bit of a stop-start start to the season," Maddison told Sky Sports.

"I just wanted to play well and show my abilities, show what the team has missed the last 18 months. The gaffer asked me to play and wanted to enjoy watching from the side. Hopefully I did that, and a goal is always nice."

If his aim was to show what Spurs have been missing, this was very much mission accomplished.

And as well as Maddison and Kulusevski, Marmoush will gain confidence from his strike, another superb curling effort that gave Rushworth no chance.

De Zerbi will know this is only a start, with a tough trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening (17:30 BST).

He welcomed the return of Maddison and Kulusevski, saying: "They are different players, different talents, different personalities. With them in the dressing room there is a different atmosphere."

What changes the atmosphere in the dressing room and beyond most are victories.

Now De Zerbi and Spurs can actually build on three points at last, and the sights of Maddison and Kulusevski back in action will have the Italian hoping they can accelerate an improvement after the misery of recent times.

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