Tottenham Hotspur secured their first Premier League victory of the season with a 3-1 home win over Coventry City on Monday, lifting Roberto De Zerbi's side to 16th in the table. The result ended a run of six home defeats in their last 37 league attempts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
James Maddison opened the scoring with a stunning first-time strike in the 14th minute, marking his first start since May 2025. Coventry equalised through Jack Rudoni in the 50th minute, but goals from Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies sealed the win for Spurs.
De Zerbi praises team spirit after long-awaited win
Speaking after the match, De Zerbi expressed his delight at the team's response to conceding an equaliser. "I was happy with the spirit, and the reaction to the goal we conceded," he said. "Honestly, we didn't play so well like the last game against Manchester United, when we didn't win and played better than today."
The Italian coach emphasised the mental aspect of the result, noting that the players have suffered but remained fantastic. "Now we have to understand that we are able to win. The mental aspect is crucial. They [the players] have been fantastic, they suffered a lot, we need to improve our confidence and improve our patterns of play, but they are a good team, very good," he added.
Maddison and Kulusevski return boost Spurs
The match also marked Dejan Kulusevski's first appearance in a matchday squad after 526 days out injured, while Maddison's start was his first in over 500 days. De Zerbi said he was "very happy" for both players, adding that their inclusion gave the squad a morale boost.
Tottenham were still without several key players, including Pedro Porro, Savio, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Xavi Simons, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Destiny Udogie. Despite this, the patched-up three-at-the-back formation worked effectively.
Marmoush and Davies seal the points
After Coventry's equaliser, Sandro Tonali responded with two close chances before Marmoush restored the lead in the 58th minute with a fine solo effort. De Zerbi brought on Conor Gallagher, Mateus Fernandes, and Ben Davies to see out the match, with Davies scoring in the 96th minute to confirm the victory.
Tottenham's starting lineup included Kinsky, van Hecke, Adarabioyo, van de Ven, Kudus, Robertson, Tonali, Gray, Maddison, Marmoush, and Solanke. Coventry fielded Rushworth, van Ewijk, Thomas, Pinnock, Dasilva, Yirenkyi, Grimes, Sakamoto, Rudoni, Thomas-Asante, and Cherif.
The win provides a much-needed confidence boost for De Zerbi's side as they look to climb the table. Their next challenge will be to build on this result and improve their patterns of play, as the coach acknowledged the team still has room to grow.
