Tottenham Hotspur picked up their first victory of the 2026/27 Premier League season on Monday evening as they beat Coventry City in north London.
Spurs were rock bottom of England's top tier going into the match having picked up just three points from their opening six matches.
Roberto De Zerbi would have been desperate for a victory over Frank Lampard's side, and they got the three points they craved as they triumphed 3-1.
James Maddison, Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies were all on the scoresheet as Tottenham climbed above the Sky Blues and out of the relegation zone.
James Maddison Posts Statement on Social Media
It's been a hellish 18 months for Maddison. He has spent much of the past one-and-a-half years on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.
Maddison was given his first start since May 1, 2025, and he marked the occasion with a goal. The boyhood Coventry City fan was overcome with emotion after hitting the back of the net, and he celebrated by kissing the Tottenham badge.
That didn't go down well with Coventry fans, though, with many slamming him for his actions on social media.
Maddison, who joined Coventry at the age of seven and played 42 times for the first team, has now addressed the backlash in an emotional statement. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the 29-year-old wrote:
"I had already planned my first goal back. I was kissing the badge of this club who has supported me and my family through the darkest days of my career over the past 18 months.
"I absolutely adore and love Coventry City. All my close friends and family know that. I’m a fan and always will be and I will 100% apologise to anyone who thought the timing was bad as my first goal back just happened to be against my hometown club.
"Good luck to Frank and the boys for the rest of the season. PUSB."
Maddison's statement comes after he gave an emotional interview with Sky Sports following the match. He said, per the Sun:
“They are the ones you dream of. Those dark days recovering from the ACL you dream of those moments and those goals. That is always the light at the end of the tunnel.
“That is why I felt really emotional and proud of Dejan Kulusevski today because I knew exactly that feeling he had stepping back onto the pitch after that amount of time out. Those moments and those goals they make it all worth it.”
He added: “I hoped [I could make this type of impact]. I spoke to the gaffer about this week and feeling like the right moment for me to go back into the starting XI after a stop-start start to the season.
“I just wanted to play well and to show my qualities and what the team has missed in the last 18 months since my last start. The gaffer asked me to play and wanted to enjoy watching me from the side, so hopefully I did that. A goal like that is always nice.”
Key Events Timeline
May 2016 — Maddison made his final appearance for Coventry before joining Norwich.
May 2025 — Maddison made what became his final Spurs start for 18 months.
August 2025 — Maddison ruptured his ACL in a pre-season friendly against Newcastle in Seoul.
April 2026 — Frank Lampard's Coventry sealed promotion, ending a 25-year Premier League absence.
May 2026 — Maddison returned to Tottenham action nine months after his knee surgery.
Tottenham and Maddison return to action on Saturday, October 24, when they travel to west London to take on fierce rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.