Football London

Poll: Should Dejan Kulusevski start against Chelsea after making emotional Tottenham return?  Football London

Roberto De Zerbi unwittingly came out with an ironic answer in his press conference after Tottenham finally secured their first win of the Premier League season.

The 47-year-old was a happy man on Monday night after the 3-1 victory against Frank Lampard's Coventry side ended Spurs' winless start to the league campaign and lifted them off the bottom of the fledgling table up into 16th. James Maddison opened the scoring before second half goals from Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies sealed the victory.

There were worries though in that second period as Andy Robertson, Tosin Adarabioyo and Marmoush all had to be taken off as they appeared to be injured and could not continue.

However, when football.london asked about the trio, De Zerbi quickly cut in and said: "No, no, no, I think there are no injuries, nothing important."

That came as a surprise to those watching them hobble off, Robertson in particular, and there was a certain irony to the Italian saying that on the same night that Dejan Kulusevski returned to action.

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For those who remember back 526 days to Kulusevski's injury after that Marc Guehi tackle will recall Ange Postecoglou's words at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that day.

"He should be ok. Just talking to him after. The medical team are not too concerned about him. It was just a knock," said the Australian.

Little did he, Kulusevski or the medical team back then know what had happened inside that knee and Spurs fans will be hoping that the trio on Monday night truly are absolutely fine.

James Maddison backtracks on Roy Keane as Jamie Carragher confronts him after Tottenham win  Football London

The midfielder scored Tottenham's opening goal on his first start for the club in over 500 days.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has issued an apology to former club Coventry City for the timing of his celebration. The 29-year-old made his first start for Tottenham since his serious knee injury against his hometown club.

He made an immediate impact by blasting the opening goal into the top corner from outside the box. Maddison celebrated by kissing the Tottenham badge, something that has not gone down well with Coventry fans, with some smattering of boos from the away end when he got the ball during the game.

Maddison started his career at his boyhood club, Coventry, and revealed that the celebration was always planned.

Taking to social media, he 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."

Alongside the classy message, he shared a picture of himself with friends and family, posing with shirts of some of the Coventry players.

Maddison's goal gave Spurs a lead going into half time, but Coventry drew level just four minutes into the second half through Jack Rudoni. Omar Marmoush's goal regained the lead for Tottenham in the 58th minute.

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Eight minutes of added time did lead to some nerves around the stadium as Spurs looked to hold on for their first win of the season. But those nerves evaporated when Ben Davies made it 3-1 in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

The win lifted Tottenham above their opponents in the Premier League table on goal difference. Roberto De Zerbi's side have picked up six points from their opening seven games, and are back in action on Saturday (5.30pm) as they travel to take on London rivals Chelsea.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday morning, Maddison shared pictures of him scoring the goal, along with a caption reading: "536 days since my last start. That feeling will never get old. Come on you spurs."

Speaking after the game, he revealed that he had doubts about doing his usual darts celebration. "I was a bit nervous before, especially with it being against Coventry," he said. "I had a box full of about 20 people today, all my friends and family, who I don't think will be too happy with me because they're all big Cov fans.

"But it's a special feeling and one I won't forget. They asked me, are you going to celebrate? I was like, I don't know. I would never go over the top and be disrespectful, but obviously it's been such a long journey for me. Especially with a goal like that, I wanted to enjoy it.

"I was almost thinking, shall I do the dart [celebration] or not? I didn't really do it properly. Obviously, I don't want to disrespect my hometown club because I love Coventry City. That club is the reason why I'm here today, but I couldn't help but have an emotional outburst."

Dejan Kulusevski admits the heartbreaking thing he told his family before Tottenham return  Football London

It was a night of magical returns, new injury worries and finally that winning feeling for the majority of the 60,913-strong crowd inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In case you had forgotten, or pushed to the back of your mind, how truly rotten Spurs' home form has been, Monday night brought only their second Premier League victory in N17 in 2026 so far and it's almost November. If you want to go further back, it was only their fourth league win at their own stadium since May 2025.

It was a victory though, even if it was rarer than unicorn droppings, and their first win home or away in this new Premier League season.

Tottenham had tried everything to change things up before the game to alter the pattern. Roberto De Zerbi had taken the players for four nights to Marbella, even the music in the stadium before kick-off was altered and no trumpet played.

Despite Coventry threatening to score within 11 seconds of the encounter starting and causing Spurs problems with their counter-attacks throughout, the north London side did the previously impossible this season and won in front of their own fans in the league.

It was a game that fed into the classic football cliché that you'll often play well and fail to win, or even lose, and then you'll play a worse game and come away with the victory.

Spurs were better than this in most of their recent matches, but for once they had quality and belief and in James Maddison a returning player who never loses confidence in his own ability. With moments like he produced in the 14th minute, why would he?

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All the talk pre-match had been about the return of Dejan Kulusevski to a matchday squad 526 days after he suffered his knee injury, but it had actually been 536 days since Maddison last started a match for Tottenham and how the club have missed him.

He has played a substitute role since the end of last season, unable to reach full fitness after his ACL injury due to a couple of little knocks both in the summer and then in the opening game of this season at Brentford.

Finally he got a bank of training behind him and it was fitting that his first start in almost 18 months came against his boyhood team, even if their fans decided to boo him with every touch from the start. His own box inside the stadium, not far behind the press area, was rammed with friends and family, many of them Coventry fans.

Maddison had a huge smile on his face before kick-off and soon showed what Spurs have missed in that time out, someone to link their play between midfield and attack, instinctively hit the quick, cute passes between the lines and swing in dangerous balls into the six-yard box.

For someone with so few minutes behind him, just 80 this season from the bench across five matches, the 29-year-old looked strong, he won all four of his duels in the game, and he lasted longer than might have been expected to, coming off to a big ovation on 69 minutes.

For he had done what he needed, especially with that wonderful 14th minute goal. Tosin Adarabioyo and then Archie Gray got the ball to Mohammed Kudus, who touched it past his man and sprinted to the right-hand side of the Coventry box.

The Ghanaian looked up and saw Maddison in space and prodded the ball towards the midfielder, who caught it perfectly to send it curling over visiting goalkeeper Carl Rushworth and inside the left-hand post.

It was the only one of Spurs' goals that the Coventry stopper had no chance with and every replay on the big screens had the fans 'oohing' and 'aahing'.

Afterwards Frank Lampard called it a "world class" finish, even after Maddison had booted the ball inches from the Coventry manager's head in the dugout during a tackle and immediately ran over to apologise. The former Chelsea man had seen the funny side of it.

Maddison believed it was the best of his 17 goals in a Tottenham shirt even if Pedro Porro joked on social media afterwards about it being a "nice pass".

"I think that's probably the best one so far. There's more to come," he said after the game. "That was an amazing feeling. It's been such a long time since I played from the start. It was Bodo/Glimt here in the Europa League semi-final almost 18 months ago. It's a special feeling.

"I was a bit nervous before, especially with it being against Coventry. I had a box full of about 20 people today, all my friends and family, who I don't think will be too happy with me because they're all big Cov fans.

"But it's a special feeling and one I won't forget. They asked me, are you going to celebrate? I was like, I don't know. I would never go over the top and be disrespectful, but obviously it's been such a long journey for me. Especially with a goal like that, I wanted to enjoy it.

"I was almost thinking, shall I do the dart [celebration] or not? I didn't really do it properly. Obviously, I don't want to disrespect my hometown club because I love Coventry City. That club is the reason why I'm here today, but I couldn't help but have an emotional outburst."

Maddison is a big presence on and off the pitch for Tottenham, always motivating those going through the same injury absences as he has suffered, and trying to help the younger players.

Before the whistle for the second half, as the Spurs substitutes were leaving the pitch, he put an arm around 18-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett and looked to be dishing out advice. He was doing push-pull motions with his arms, perhaps giving the talented teenager some tips if he were to later come on for his Premier League debut.

Only Sandro Tonali had more touches of the ball (87) beyond the defence than Maddison, who had 69, as Tottenham turned to the two midfielders in every situation.

De Zerbi's formation on the night was an unusual one. It was a back three in possession but clearly a four out of it with Jan Paul van Hecke high and on the right. Marcos Senesi, despite his superb passing at Old Trafford, found himself on the bench with Tosin impressing on his full debut.

Out of possession Gray was back in his favoured midfield role, mostly alongside Tonali, but in possession would get out wide occasionally to prevent Kudus from having to be a wing-back.

"We played three at the back [in possession], I want to explain why," De Zerbi told football.london. "Because for the injured players in the midfield position, Conor Gallagher came back two days ago, and at the beginning of the week, the medical staff told me maybe he could be not available to play.

"Bergvall was injured, Mateus Fernandes worked just the last two days because of his [new-born] son, and I thought three at the back was the best solution to defend the counter-attack, to have more control of the game, and for that I'm happy because we didn't concede a counter-attack.

"The Coventry style of play is 80 per cent counter-attack, and we didn't concede any counter-attack. We conceded one shot, we didn't create more chances or too many chances like the other games, to be honest, but I knew before the game, and I prepared the game, saying to the players this game was maybe the most difficult, because the defensive style of Coventry is different than Manchester United or the other games."

On the midfield make-up, the Italian added: "I prepared with three at the back, one midfielder and three players in the pocket, [Omar] Marmoush, James Maddison and Archie Gray, with normally these three totally different players.

"Marmoush more an attacker, Maddison more playing in the pocket, for the link with the defenders, with Tonali, and Archie Gray to go in overlapping and underlapping Kudus. I think two players [in those pockets] they scored.

"Robertson played as a winger, and in the first half played very well, Kudus also, I liked his performance, and especially in the second half, because in the first half I think it was too difficult to find the space, Solanke played a good second half."

Gray and Tonali impressed once again, the former delighted to be back in the centre of the pitch and crucial when he switched to right-back later in the game, while the Italian is looking more and more like the key man in the hub of the team.

His fitness is hugely improved and he was pressing high up the pitch in the game's final moments after another lung-busting performance.

It's no coincidence that both Gray (12.4km) and Tonali (12.3km) topped the distance covered stats for both sides, with Dominic Solanke (11.9km) coming in third for Spurs with another sharper performance with his pressing and hold-up play that brought little reward until his added time assist for Ben Davies.

Before that, Spurs had again shown their ability to switch off at least in one key moment. Four minutes into the second half, Tonali failed to stop Jack Rudoni getting into the box and on to a ball that bounced off Brandon Thomas-Asante. Tosin was static and could only watch as Antonin Kinsky patted the shot into his own net.

The Spurs players called for a handball that the official decided never was from Thomas-Asante but they showed character in getting themselves back into the lead just nine minutes later.

Tonali sent a couple of efforts over the crossbar and Marmoush one at the keeper before Maddison got the ball to Robertson, who dinked a pass into Marmoush and the Egyptian held off Milan van Ewijk before curling home his first goal for the club

Lampard was aggrieved for what he felt was an elbow from Marmoush as he held off Van Ewijk but called the finish world class, even if Rushworth pushed it into his own net on the stretch.

The game started to sag a little for Spurs after that as the nerves began to set in, understandable for a team that has had so little joy in that stadium. The tension in the crowd was palpable and De Zerbi knew it was time to light up the Bat signal, or more precisely the Deki signal.

"Kudus, I thought he was playing well, I though he could finish the game, but I thought of Kulusevski just for the fans," said De Zerbi. "Just for the fans because they waited for him on the pitch and in the last 5-10 minutes for added time, we needed the support of the fans.

"And they are fantastic with Kulusevski, with us, they suffered too much in the last three or four seasons, I don't know, but they deserve to celebrate many, many wins."

There had already been a standing ovation when Kulusevski came out to warm up down the touchline early in the game, the Swede applauding back at the Spurs fans.

That was nothing though compared to the noise that was emitted when the 26-year-old entered the pitch in the 87th minute. The roof almost came off the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and his first couple of touches were cheered to the rafters.

To his credit, Kulusevski looked switched on from the off, involved in a couple of breaks up the pitch, even if everyone winced with every challenge a Coventry player made on him.

He caused them problems, as did Mathys Tel on the other side, the Frenchman running the length of the pitch before hitting an effort high and wide.

This was all about Kulusevski though and the remarkable achievement of coming back from such a complicated knee injury when many had doubted he would ever play football again, let alone at this level.

Those who saw the gruesome image he posted on social media from his surgery 17 months ago will know just what had to be done behind his right kneecap to that injured patella.

Yet here he was back in a Premier League game and it was only after the match that he allowed a smile to crease his face when the job was done, Davies hitting a low shot that Rushworth fumbled into the net to allow everyone a sigh of relief.

"The journey felt impossible. It was the most difficult it could be, but I had a feeling I was going to come back to play football. I just had to believe and that is what I do," Kulusevski said after the final whistle.

"No, never [I didn't lose belief]. It seemed impossible and I had to tell my closest ones it might not work out, just a couple of months ago, but in my heart I always knew it would work out. I kept working, 10 hours every day when no one is watching, so when everything was impossible and everyone gave up, I never gave up because of this that happened today."

The Swede admits it was only five days ago that it all finally clicked and he felt ready to return to the top level and he believes he will come out of his dark period of his life a better person and player.

"Imagine when everyone gives up on you. Imagine that you can’t as you know football for me is like breathing," he said. "Imagine you can’t breathe for two years but still you have a family, you show up, you do it with a smile, you go with your team-mates, you hype them up and that takes a lot of love, a lot of courage and a lot of belief. That is what I had to practice but I can’t take any credit because it wasn’t me."

He added: "I will tell everyone about the journey. It has been an amazing journey even if it is hard sometimes. Hard is beautiful and I am so grateful that I had to experience it. Now I am ready to play football. I see myself a little different now. I think I am a different man now. Same guy, same guy that wants to play football but a little bit smarter."

At the full time whistle, everyone wanted to congratulate Kulusevski, even Coventry players acknowledging his battling journey back to this point.

Maddison hugged him with plenty of emotion, captain Micky van de Ven put his hand to his face, the suspended Rodrigo Bentancur and Pedro Porro grabbed him in the tunnel afterwards and De Zerbi revealed that the dressing room celebrated his return in the appropriate fashion among themselves.

Solanke said Kulusevski has "one of the strongest minds I know" and Maddison was delighted for the Swede.

"Honestly, I was a bit emotional there. I've seen the journey he's been on. We had a whole season out together," said the midfielder. "Then I obviously came back at the end of the season and he was still struggling a little bit. He's honestly one of the most hard-working blokes ever.

"He's a bit of a nutjob. He's a bit crazy and I don't think he'll mind me saying that. But he is so hard-working and he's so honest and just raw. He's just a good human being.

"When he came on, I was just stood up clapping because I've seen first-hand, up close and personal, the emotion that he's gone through. I also think back to the Leeds game where I came back and that took me back there as well. So, I gave him a big hug at the end because he deserved that."

It's remarkable to think about what has happened since Kulusevski last played. There were three head coaches that the Sweden did not play for in Thomas Frank, Igor Tudor and De Zerbi until Monday night.

He missed a World Cup, many players have come and gone at Tottenham and even Daniel Levy left his role as chairman after 24 years at the helm.

It's fair to say that Tottenham - the Europa League win aside - have struggled in the Swede's absence. He's the kind of character who drives up standards and won't accept anything less than everything.

De Zerbi said of Maddison and Kulusevski: "They are different players. Different talent, different experience, different personality. With them in the dressing room, there is another atmosphere."

Spurs will remain cautious and careful with the Swede but if he can get back to where he was then he will be a huge player in De Zerbi's squad.

Those who remember back 526 days to Kulusevski's injury after that Marc Guehi tackle will recall Ange Postecoglou's words at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that day.

"He should be ok. Just talking to him after. The medical team are not too concerned about him. It was just a knock," said the Australian.

Little did he, Kulusevski or the medical team back then know what had happened inside that knee.

So you can forgive the cynicism from all concerned when De Zerbi answered football.london about the new injuries that forced off Robertson, Tosin and Marmoush, the former in particular appearing gutted at what might have been a hamstring problem.

"No, no, no, I think there are no injuries, nothing important," said the Tottenham head coach.

Spurs fans won't be counting their chickens - or cockerels - just yet, but amid it all this was a night to enjoy as old faces returned and bad habits were finally cast aside.

Roberto De Zerbi has downplayed fears that Andy Robertson, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Omar Marmoush suffered injuries during Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Coventry City. Each of the three players was forced to come off during the second half of Monday night's clash, having appeared to suffer knocks.

Shortly after helping the Lilywhites restore their lead, providing the assist for Marmoush's curled effort from outside the box, Robertson began to look uncomfortable. A few moments later, he, as well as Micky van de Ven and Sandro Tonali, signalled to the bench for a substitution.

The former Liverpool defender, who was sprawled out on the turf, climbed to his feet and came off for Ben Davies, who put the third and final nail in the visitors' coffin in stoppage time. No more than a couple of minutes later, Tosin sustained a knock, too, and he was swiftly replaced by Mateus Fernandes.

Then, in the final minutes, Marmoush hit the deck, holding his right calf. He and Mohammed Kudus eventually made way for Mathys Tel and Dejan Kulusevski, respectively.

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Speaking to reporters after the game, the Spurs boss was asked for an update on the three players. Keeping his cards close to his chest ahead of Saturday night's clash against Chelsea, De Zerbi said: "No, no, no, I think there are no injuries, nothing important."

The Italian could be without some big names for the London derby at the weekend, with Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro, Lucas Bergvall, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Savio nursing knocks, as well as Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert, who are still recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgeries.

Despite the injury scares on Monday night, De Zerbi remained positive. The Tottenham boss said: "Yes, very happy for the result, very happy for [James] Maddison, very happy for Deki Kulusevski.

"I think we played much better in other games, Old Trafford, Aston Villa especially in the first half, Everton especially in the first half, Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, but we didn't play so well, not for our responsibility, but for their credit, for the Coventry credit, because playing against one team who defend so close, so compact with low block, it's always a very, very tough game.

"Especially in the first half we didn't move the ball so fast, I think we have been too predictable, but I knew before the game. We played three at the back. I want to explain why, because for the injured players in the midfield position, Conor Gallagher came back two days ago, and at the beginning of the week, the medical staff told me maybe he could be not available to play.

"Bergvall was injured, Mateus Fernandes worked just the last two days (in the Marbella training camp) for his son, and I thought three at the back was the best solution to defend the counter-attack, to have more control of the game, and for that I'm happy because we didn't concede a counter-attack.

"The Coventry style of play is 80 per cent counter-attack, and we didn't concede any counter-attack. We conceded one shot. We didn't create more chances or too many chances like the other games, to be honest.

"But I knew before the game, and I prepared the game, saying to the players this game was maybe the most difficult, because the defensive style of Coventry is different than Manchester United or the other games."

When asked how he plans to build on the result ahead of the Chelsea clash, De Zerbi added: "We have to see. I don't know. I hope we can play with this attitude, with this mentality, with this union, and improving at the same time, improving confidence, improving everything we need.

"We have to play better because we can play better. I think other games, even if we play with different opponents, it would be easier as a tactical game. But for sure, now we have to push in this way."

Tottenham icon Jan Vertonghen set for match in different sport he refused to let teammates play  Football London

James Maddison makes 'dark days' admission in emotional interview after Tottenham heroics  Football London

Roberto De Zerbi went into plenty of detail in his press conference after Tottenham Hotspur finally got their first Premier League victory with a 3-1 win against Coventry.

It had been 536 days since James Maddison's last start for the club and he made up for lost time with a wonderful opening goal just 14 minutes in. It was the first time Spurs had taken the lead in a Premier League game this season as the 29-year-old curled home a perfect effort from outside the box from Mohammed Kudus' pass.

Coventry equalised five minutes into the second half. Poor defending from the hosts gave Jack Rudoni the space to score after a ball into the box bounced to him off Brandon Thomas-Asante. Antonin Kinsky could only pat the ball into his own net.

However, Omar Marmoush scored his first goal for Spurs on 58 minutes and it was a belter. Andy Robertson played the ball into him and the Egyptian turned and battled past his man before curling the ball into the far corner of the net.

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Dejan Kulusevski made his return from the bench to huge cheers 526 days on from the day the Swede suffered a complicated knee injury two seasons ago and after some nervy moments the home side wrapped up their first victory with substitute Ben Davies hitting a shot that Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth fumbled into his own net.

Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to De Zerbi after the game. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Let's start off with positives, first win in the Premier League this season, Maddison back starting and scoring, Kulusevski back as well, a good night in that regard?

Yes, very happy for the result, very happy for Maddison, very happy for Deki Kulusevski. I think we played much better in other games, Old Trafford, Aston Villa especially in the first half, Everton especially in the first half, Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, but we didn't play so well, not for our responsibility.

But for their credit, for the Coventry credit, because playing against one team who defend so close, so compact with low block, it's always a very, very tough game. Especially in the first half we didn't move the ball so fast, I think we have been too predictable, but I knew before the game.

We played three at the back [in possession], I want to explain why, because for the injured players in the midfield position, Conor Gallagher came back two days ago, and at the beginning of the week, the medical staff told me maybe he could be not available to play.

Bergvall was injured, Mateus Fernandes worked just the last two days because of his [newborn] son, and I thought three at the back was the best solution to defend the counter-attack, to have more control of the game, and for that I'm happy because we didn't concede a counter-attack.

The Coventry style of play is 80 per cent counter-attack, and we didn't concede any counter-attack. We conceded one shot, we didn't create more chances or too many chances like the other games, to be honest, but I knew before the game, and I prepared the game, saying to the players this game was maybe the most difficult, because the defensive style of Coventry is different than Manchester United or the other games.

What is the latest with the injuries to Robertson, Tosin and Marmoush?

No, no, no, I think there are no injuries, nothing important.

What did you make of Archie Gray coming into midfield with Sandro Tonali?

I prepared the game three at the back, one midfielder and three players in the pocket, Marmoush, James Maddison and Archie Gray, with normally these three totally different players. Marmoush more an attacker, Maddison more playing in the pocket, for the link with the defenders, with Tonali, and Archie Gray to go in overlapping and underlapping Kudus. I think two players [in those pockets] they scored.

Robertson played as a winger, and in the first half played very well, Kudus also, I liked his performance, and especially in the second half, because in the first half I think it was too difficult to find the space, Solanke played a good second half.

How big is it to have James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski back?

Different players. They are different players. Different talent, different experience, different personality. With them in the dressing room, there is another atmosphere.

Spurs’ attackers have struggled a little bit with confidence, but Maddison never looks like he has a problem with confidence. How important is that?

It's important. I think the result is important, but the most important thing can be two things. The first one, we understood we are able to win a game like other teams in the Premier League.

The second one, if we put something more than ourselves, like we have done in the last two weeks before Old Trafford, because the day before Old Trafford we had a big meeting and we spoke about the situation. We can't accept, we can't move on if we don't take more responsibility.

This week was important because we stayed together, we spent time together, and they want to build, not a family, but like a family.

Because during the game, if you have a problem, if there is a tough situation, a difficult situation, you have to play for your teammates, for your fans, for your brother. Not like a robot with 11 players on the pitch.

Did you see the effect of the Marbella trip?

No, the effect of the quality of the players, because Maddison is a different player. But in terms of your question, I think Man United and today the players showed a great reaction after the goal we conceded in Old Trafford, in 10 players.

And today we conceded one goal in the first time, maybe second with the first half one shot, and the second half another two. Two times they came inside of the goal area and we conceded the goal. It was tough, no? But football is like this. Life is like this. If we don't react together in the tough moments, we have to change the sport, we have to play golf or other sports.

Did you feel like the stadium needed it in that moment (Kulusevski’s introduction), with the game ticking away and maybe a bit of nerves, that it needed a lift?

Listen Kudus, I thought he was playing well, I think he could finish the game, but I thought of Kulusevski just for the fans. Just for the fans because they waited (for) him on the pitch and in the last 5-10 minutes for extra time, we needed the support of the fans. And they are fantastic with Kulusevski, with us, they suffered too much in the last 3-4 seasons, I don't know, but they deserve to celebrate many, many wins.

What's next? Not just Chelsea, but how can you build on this?

I don't know. I hope we can play with this attitude, with this mentality, with this union, and improving at the same time, improving confidence, improving everything we need.

We have to play better because we can play better. I think other games, even if we play with different opponents, it would be easier as a tactical game. But for sure, now we have to push in this way.