James Maddison made a sensational return to Tottenham’s starting line-up after 17 months away on Monday as Spurs beat Coventry 3-1 to claim their long-awaited first Premier League win of the season.
The England midfielder has featured only fleetingly since May 2025, when he suffered the first of two serious knee injuries.
But Maddison needed less than a quarter of an hour to put Spurs ahead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a stunning first-time strike from outside the penalty area.
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Jack Rudoni levelled early in the second half but the home side were back in front just before the hour mark when Omar Marmoush lashed home his first goal for the club and substitute Ben Davies made the points safe late on.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team came into the match bottom of the Premier League and with the unwanted record of being the only team in England’s top six divisions without a league win this season despite a huge summer spend.
The victory also marked only their sixth home Premier League win since November 2024.
The Spurs boss had taken his squad to Marbella in southern Spain for some warm-weather training in a bid to kickstart their season.
His decision looks to have worked, with pressure heaping on the former Brighton boss after an ugly start to their campaign.
Tottenham began the round fixed on the bottom of the ladder, but with a win have leapfrogged Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Coventry to sit 16th.
“It’s gone about as good as it could for De Zerbi. Maddison and Kulusevski back, but most importantly the three points lifting them off the bottom of the table,” Alan Smith said on Sky Sports.
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher was hopeful this win could help Spurs push up the ladder.
“It felt edgy all night and didn’t change until Ben Davies got the goal right at the end,” he said.
“It has been so tough for them in that new stadium. They never really have any belief the team are going to win. I don’t think the team believe they are going to win it.
“Hopefully for Tottenham, this is going to be the start of getting some belief going forward that they can actually win games in the stadium.”
De Zerbi named Maddison in his starting line-up while Sweden midfielder Dejan Kulusevski returned to the matchday squad for the first time in 17 months.
Maddison ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in August 2025, just three months after injuring the sameknee.
The 29-year-old wasted little time in making his mark, putting his side ahead in the 14th minute in spectacular style after fine work from Mohammed Kudus on the right.
Maddison, lurking just outside the penalty area, received the ball from Kudus and sent it curling past Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth and into the top corner, sparking wild scenes of delight among the home fans.
Tottenham now had their tails up and threatened to overwhelm the visitors but Frank Lampard’s newly promoted Coventry, who had won their previous two games, re-established a foothold.
Maddison went close to putting Spurs 2-0 after half an hour but his half-cross, half-shot curled narrowly wide.
But they failed to stretch their lead and Coventry were level in the 49th minute, courtesy of a Rudoni strike from close range.
Spurs lost the ball in the Coventry half and the visitors swept forward. Rudoni’s cross hit a teammate but the ball fell kindly for him and he drove home.
Just nine minutes later Spurs were back in front when former Manchester City forward Marmoush held off Milan van Ewijk before unleashing an unstoppable shot.
Kulusevski, who suffered a knee injury in May 2025, was introduced in the final minutes to a huge ovation from the home fans.
Spurs veteran Davies made the three points safe deep into added time, poking home from the edge of the penalty area as Tottenham could at last relax.