Maddison scores on starting return as Tottenham beat Coventry 3-1

Tottenham secured their first Premier League victory of the season by beating Coventry City 3-1 on Monday, with James Maddison scoring on his return to the starting line-up. BBC Sport reported that the result at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium lifted Roberto de Zerbi's side off the bottom of the table, while Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies also scored for the hosts.

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Maddison opened the scoring in the 14th minute, meeting Mohammed Kudus' pass with a first-time right-footed shot from 20 yards that beat Carl Rushworth. The midfielder was starting for Spurs for the first time in almost 18 months. He had missed most of last season following an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season, then fractured his shoulder in this campaign's opening-weekend defeat at Brentford.

Coventry drew level four minutes after the interval through Jack Rudoni, with Brandon Thomas-Asante credited with the assist. Tottenham restored their advantage in the 58th minute when Marmoush scored his first goal for the club, assisted by Andy Robertson. Davies added the third in the sixth minute of stoppage time following a Rushworth mistake, ending Coventry's hopes of taking a point.

There was another significant return for Tottenham late in the match. Dejan Kulusevski replaced Kudus in the 87th minute after 526 days out with a knee injury, receiving a warm reception from the home supporters. Maddison had already left the field to applause when Conor Gallagher replaced him after 69 minutes, having helped Spurs establish the lead they ultimately protected.

Speaking to BBC Sport afterwards, De Zerbi praised his team's attitude and their response to conceding, while acknowledging that their play still needed improvement. Coventry manager Frank Lampard told the broadcaster he was proud of his players' performance and felt the late third goal gave the scoreline a harsher appearance. Eight of Coventry's starters had played for the club in the Championship last season.

The win offered Tottenham relief after a prolonged struggle for league results. According to BBC Sport, it was only their sixth victory in their past 37 home league matches and their fourth league win of 2026. For Maddison and Kulusevski, the evening also marked progress after lengthy injury absences, alongside three points for their team.