Yahoo Sports

Tottenham Hotspur will try to make it three straight wins after starting the Premier League season winless in their first six games, when they host struggling Crystal Palace and embattled manager Pierre Sage on Saturday (1:30 pm ET).

Roberto De Zerbi's side has scored more goals (5) in their last two games than they did in the first six combined (3), which coincides directly with the return of James Maddison to the starting XI. Maddison was feared to have been lost again in last weekend's rare win away to Chelsea, but Spurs' playmaking midfielder avoided serious injury and will be available to face Palace, as will left back Destiny Udogie, who missed the last two games with a minor knee injury of his own.

The last two games have gone decidedly different for Crystal Palace as they suffered back-to-back defeats, to Brighton and Newcastle, by a combined score of 7-0. There has been talk that Sage might be sacked due to Palace's poor start, but the Frenchman has been given a small vote of confidence and additional time to turn things around. The absence of star winger Ismaila Sarr through at least the November international break will not make matters any easier.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 1:30 pm ET Saturday (October 31)

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — London

TV Channel: NBCSN

Stream link: Watch live on Peacock

Spurs team news

OUT: Lucas Bergvall (knee), Rodrigo Bentancur (suspension), Savio (muscular), Mykhailo Mudryk (ankle), Xavi Simons (knee), Wilson Odobert (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Tosin Adarabioyo (calf)

Crystal Palace team news

OUT: Ismaila Sarr (groin), Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), Chadi Riad (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Jorgen Strand Larsen (ankle), Quinten Timber (thigh)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace prediction

Tottenham Hotspur secured their first Premier League victory of the season with a 3-1 win over Coventry City, with James Maddison making a decisive contribution on his return to the starting line-up.

Omar Marmoush restored Spurs' advantage after Jack Rudoni's equaliser, before substitute Ben Davies settled the contest in stoppage time. Dejan Kulusevski's return added further encouragement on an important evening for Roberto De Zerbi.

Here are my player ratings,

Antonin Kinsky - 6.0

He could have done better when Rudoni forced home Coventry's equaliser. Otherwise, an uneventful evening for the keeper.

Jan Paul van Hecke - 7.0

Lost possession, which helped Coventry launch their equaliser. Otherwise a solid evening for the Dutch International as part of a back three.

Tosin Adarabioyo - 7.0

Made his first Premier League start for Tottenham as De Zerbi changed his defensive personnel. Completed 71 minutes before Mateus Fernandes replaced him, a solid performance.

Micky van de Ven - 8.0

Produced an important recovery challenge to stop Brandon Thomas-Asante after the Coventry attacker escaped Van Hecke. Never looked like he was going to be beaten in an excellent performance.

Andy Robertson - 7.5

Registered the assist for Marmoush's goal, supplying the pass before the forward turned and scored. Replaced by Davies after 69 minutes, having contributed to the moment that put Tottenham back ahead.

Sandro Tonali - 8.0

Tried to drive Tottenham's response after Coventry equalised, sending two efforts over the bar. Showed attacking intent when Spurs needed to regain control. Always available in the middle of the pitch, and produced several excellent recoveries.

Archie Gray - 8.0

Started alongside Tonali and slotted into right back to finish out the game. Excellent in the middle, he preferred position, but again showed his versatility to help see out an important win.

James Maddison- 8.5

The standout performer of the match. Marked his first competitive start since May 2025 with a superb curling opener. His quality around the penalty area gave Spurs the breakthrough before Gallagher replaced him.

Mohammed Kudus- 8.0

Provided the assist for Maddison's opener and offered attacking threat from the right. Later making way for Kulusevski.

Dominic Solanke - 7.5

Unable to add his name to the scoresheet, but supplied the assist for Davies' late goal. Work hard throughout for the team.

Omar Marmoush - 7.5

Delivered the crucial second goal with a fine strike from outside the box. Worked hard off the ball and looks more comfortable as the games progress.

Ben Davies - 6.5

Replaced Robertson in the 69th minute, scoring six minutes into stoppage time. Another solid substitute performance for the Welsh Captain.

Conor Gallagher - 6.0

Introduced for Maddison after 69 minutes as De Zerbi refreshed his midfield.

Mateus Fernandes - 6.0

Replaced Tosin and later tested Rushworth with a curling effort.

Dejan Kulusevski - 10.00

Returned in the 87th minute to a huge reception after his lengthy injury absence. 10 rating because we're all so happy to see him back.

Mathys Tel- Not rated

A late replacement for Marmoush, who helped Tottenham see out the closing stages.

Tottenham travel to Chelsea on Saturday, 24 October, before hosting Crystal Palace on Saturday, 31 October, with both London derbies kicking off at 5.30pm.

A trip to Leeds United follows on 7 November, giving Roberto De Zerbi's side more chances to build momentum after finally securing their first league win.

Spurs won a football match! It wasn't champagne football, but that will hardly matter to fans after Spurs got goals from James Maddison, Omar Marmoush, and Ben Davies in a 3-1 home victory over Coventry City. And Dejan Kulusevski made his long-awaited return to football after a year and a half on the sidelines!

It wasn't a great game, but it was a pretty great win! And it's always better to win than to not win.

Celebrating wins are fun, we should do that more often. It's time to rate the players.

Rate the players from 1⁄2 to 5 stars. If the player doesn't deserve a rating due to minutes played, DO NOT RANK. I will round the stars up/down to the nearest half-star for the player ratings later this week.

Tottenham climbed off the bottom of the Premier League after James Maddison's superb 14th-minute opener inspired a 3-1 home win over Coventry.

It was a night to savour for both Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, who made his first appearance in 526 days after a 17-month absence with a patella injury.

Roberto De Zerbi gave Maddison the nod against his boyhood club and Spurs' number 10 responded with a stunning curled effort from 20 metres before Coventry levelled four minutes into the second half through Jack Rudoni.

Omar Marmoush responded with his first goal for Tottenham with 58 minutes played and after Kulusevski was introduced to thunderous applause, a nervy finale was avoided when long-serving defender Ben Davies watched his scuffed effort beat Carl Rushworth in stoppage-time.

It ensured Spurs claimed a first top-flight win of the season at the seventh time of asking and only a fourth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since Kulusevski and Maddison were injured in May 2025.

Tottenham Hotspur have not been especially good at winning football matches lately, especially at home. They did both today, notching their first win of the season with a 3-1 result over Frank Lampard's Coventry City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. You could almost feel the relief pouring out of the home supporters as Spurs' win takes them out of the relegation zone. Spurs got goals from James Maddison (making his first start of the season), Omar Marmoush (his first goal in a Spurs shirt), and late one from Ben Davies.

Roberto De Zerbi is still dealing with a number of injuries, including Lucas Bergvall and Savio, and Rodrigo Bentancur is currently serving a three match suspension for violent conduct against Manchester United. De Zerbi opted to start Tosin Adarabioyo in central defense, pushing Jan Paul van Hecke wide left, with the back line functioning as a hybrid back three. Archie Gray was moved into midfield alongside Sandro Tonali. But the biggest news was James Madison making his first start since his knee injury, and Dejan Kulusevski on the bench for the first time in over 500 days.

Tottenham did something early in this match that they hadn't done all season to this point — they scored first! James Maddison had a fantastic long-range solo goal to put Spurs ahead in the 15th minute, which was good since their offense sputtered throughout the first half. Coventry took advantage in the second half, leveling the score via a scrappy goal from Jack Rudoni. Then suddenly… Omar Marmoush. Spurs' new signing from Manchester City rocketed a lovely shot from the top of the box past Coventry keeper Carl Rushworth to regain the lead in the 58th minute.

The biggest cheer of the night came in the 85th minute when Dejan Kulusevski came on as an impact substitute, his first appearance in over 500 days. The crowd cheered his every touch, though he definitely looked rusty and slow on the ball. Fellow substitute Ben Davies poked home a low effort late in the match to put Spurs up 3-1 and ensure the victory, though it was hardly a convincing performance overall.

Here are my match reactions from Spurs' first win of the season.

Match Reactions

A day to celebrate in north London.

Tottenham hosted Coventry on Monday night in the final fixture of Premier League matchweek seven.

After three defeats and three draws, Spurs finally have their first league win of the season!

Roberto De Zerbi's men endured a scare but secured a 3-1 victory thanks to goals from James Maddison, Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies.

The three points lift Spurs out of the relegation zone and into sixteenth place.

Next up for Tottenham: a derby against Chelsea on Saturday night.

Tottenham finally got their Premier League season moving with a 3-1 win over Coventry City, climbing off the bottom of the table after six games without a victory.

James Maddison marked his first league start since April 2025 with a superb opener in the 14th minute. The midfielder collected the ball on the edge of the box before curling an excellent finish into the top corner.

Spurs looked comfortable at the break, but Coventry levelled shortly after half-time when Jack Rudoni reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the area and squeezed his shot past Antonin Kinsky.

The hosts responded well and restored their lead in the 58th minute. Omar Marmoush found space outside the box and unleashed a powerful effort into the far corner to score his first goal for Tottenham.

There was more cheer for the home supporters late on as Dejan Kulusevski returned to action after 526 days out with injury.

Ben Davies then wrapped up the points in stoppage time, driving a low finish into the corner to complete the scoring.

This could be the match in which Tottenham Hotspur finally secure their first win of the season.

At least, that's a new interpretation of the classic "Are we there yet?" yelled by some kids in the back seat. That's the level to which frustration has grown amongst fans, players, and coaching staff, though, as Spurs have put in some solid-to-good performances with little to show for it but this lousy t-shirt.

Their efforts to finally log those elusive three points will be hampered by the latest spate of injuries through the squad: Lucas Bergvall and Savio are the latest absentees, with Pedro Porro still recovering from his injury. The team (and fans) though will be buoyed by the apparent return of Dejan Kulusevski to the matchday squad around a year and a half after injuring his knee against Crystal Palace.

Will that be enough of a boost to finally get Spurs over the line?

Are we there yet?

COYS!

Lineups

Lineups will be posted closer to kick-off.

Live Blog

(function(n){function c(t,i){n[e](h,function(n){var r,u;if(n&&(r=n[n.message?"message":"data"]+"",r&&r.substr&&r.substr(0,3)==="nc:")&&(u=r.split(":"),u[1]===i))switch(u[2]){case"h":t.style.height=u[3]+"px";return;case"scrolltotop":t.scrollIntoView();return}},!1)}for(var t,u,f,i,s,e=n.addEventListener?"addEventListener":"attachEvent",h=e==="attachEvent"?"onmessage":"message",o=n.document.querySelectorAll(".live-center-embed"),r=0;r

',c(t.firstChild,i)))})(window);

How to Watch

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Coventry City

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Monday, October 19, 2026

Time: 3:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. UK

TV: USA Network, Sky Sports Main Event (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: Unavailable

You can also follow along with Cartilage Free Captain's match threads from your phone with the new SB Nation app, where commenting and interacting with the match thread is now easier than ever with the Game Chat feature. The app is available currently in the U.S. on iOS and Android devices. Check it out!

Match thread rules

The match thread rules are the same as always. To any visitors coming here for the first time, welcome! We're glad you're here! Wipe your feet, mind the gap, and be sure to check out the other pages at this outstanding site. While you're here, though, we have a few rules and regulations:

Absolutely no links to illegal streams. They're bad and they get us in trouble. Violators will be warned or banned.

We have rules against "relentless negativity." Nobody likes a Negative Nancy. Don't knee-jerk and post outlandish or hurtful things just because you're frustrated.

Along those lines, outright abuse of players or match officials is also not allowed. It's fine to say "wow, that was a really bad call," but it's NOT okay to direct copious amounts of abuse in the direction of said official over a call you did not like.

Treat other people in the match thread the way you would want someone else to treat your grandmother. Be nice. This is a community of fans, not an un-moderated message board.

NO SPIDERS!

Finally, while we don't have a rule against profanity, please try and keep the naughty words in check. Also, language that is sexist, racist, transphobic, or homophobic in nature will be swiftly deleted and you will be immediately banned. This is an open, supportive community.

Have fun, and COYS!

Tottenham Hotspur host Coventry City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night, still searching for a first league win after six games.

Roberto De Zerbi's side have drawn three and lost three, scoring three league goals, and drew 1-1 at Manchester United on 10 October after Rodrigo Bentancur's red card left them with 10 men, Dominic Solanke equalising late. Coventry, newly promoted, have won their last two league games, 1-0 at Nottingham Forest and 4-1 against Newcastle United. Spurs have won their last five meetings with Coventry, the most recent a 2-1 EFL Cup win in September 2024, and are unbeaten in their last five home meetings.

Tottenham Hotspur team news

Mykhaylo Mudryk (ankle), Wilson Odobert (knee), Xavi Simons (knee) and Dejan Kulusevski (knee) are out, and Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended for three league games after his red card at Old Trafford. Pedro Porro (hamstring) is a minor doubt after posting on social media that he is "almost back". De Zerbi was not due to speak to the media on Sunday, so his final update is awaited.

James Maddison, who has made only substitute appearances this season, is expected to start for the first time in the league in place of Conor Gallagher, joining Mohammed Kudus, Savio and Dominic Solanke in attack. Sandro Tonali and Lucas Bergvall should keep their midfield places in the absence of Bentancur. Archie Gray is expected to continue at right-back if Porro is not fit, and Micky van de Ven is likely to return in place of Marcos Senesi alongside Jan Paul van Hecke. Antonin Kinsky is predicted in goal, with Destiny Udogie at left-back.

Tottenham Hotspur predicted lineup

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting XI: Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Tonali; Kudus, Maddison, Savio; Solanke

When will the match kick off?

The Premier League match kicks off at 20:00 BST on Monday, 19 October 2026.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City?

The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports.

Read more – Iraola delivers double Liverpool injury update following Brentford win

See also – Alonso delighted as Chelsea keep first clean sheet of the season

Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:

Rafael van der Vaart has defended Fabio Vieira after a slow start to the midfielder's second spell with Hamburger SV, who sit a few points clear of relegation in the Bundesliga.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Fabio Vieira moved to Hamburger SV late in the summer transfer window, bringing to an end his time with Arsenal. Vieira had spent last season on loan with HSV, and he'd made enough of an impression that they wanted to bring him back.

But the permanent spell hasn't entirely gone to plan so far, with Vieira yet to score or assist a goal, and HSV losing two of his four games 5-0.

They did at least win the other two, but they sit 13th in the Bundesliga table, just two points clear of the relegation play-off place and three points clear of automatic relegation.

Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Even so, former HSV and Tottenham Hotspur player Rafael van der Vaart has leapt to Vieira's defence.

"He's obvi­ously a great player," van der Vaart said. "But you should never com­pare him with me or other play­ers. It's not about whether he's the best HSV player since van der Vaart or Bar­barez. One must not for­get that I had it easier than him.

"I also played badly more often than not. But we were a team that could handle that. We had a lot of big names and were among the top teams in the Bundes­liga. When I was bad, oth­ers were good.

"I think that Fabio has it much harder than me. It's something dif­fer­ent when you're play­ing against releg­a­tion with your team."

Photo by Selim Sudheimer/Getty Images

Saturday's game against VfB Stuttgart represents a good opportunity for Vieira and the team, taking on the team one spot above them in the table.

A win would allow HSV to leapfrog their opponents, whilst defeat would likely drop them down the standings, given their terrible goal difference.

Only relegation-zone sides Union Berlin and Borussia Monchengladbach have a worse goal difference than HSV right now, and there's only a goal or two in it.

Given Vieira's HSV contract has a sell-on clause in it, Arsenal will be hoping the player and his new team turn things around at some stage.

Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images