Maddison return and late Davies goal give Spurs first win

Tottenham beat Coventry 3-1 for their first Premier League win of the season, climbing out of the bottom three as Ben Davies scored in stoppage time. It was only Spurs’ sixth home league win since November 2024, and the Guardian described the performance as unconvincing.

Relief, with familiar nerves

James Maddison opened the scoring with a curling strike from 25 yards on his first start in 536 days. Jack Rudoni equalised soon after half-time, following a Spurs loss of possession, before Omar Marmoush restored the lead in the 59th minute with a shot from 20 yards.

Coventry protested that Marmoush had caught Milan van Ewijk in the face with an elbow before scoring, but the goal stood. Davies, introduced as a substitute, made it 3-1 in added time and moved Tottenham above Coventry, who fell to 17th. De Zerbi’s switch to a back three brought early jitters, while the Guardian noted that Spurs’ passing needed more sharpness. The win offers some breathing room; it does not make the performance look like settled progress.

Tottenham’s approach under De Zerbi will remain under scrutiny after a game in which the lead was surrendered and then regained amid controversy. The narrow margin before Davies’ late goal was a reminder that one result can make the table look kinder faster than it makes the football convincing.

Maddison and Kulusevski return

Maddison’s goal was his first since May 2025. Dejan Kulusevski also made his first appearance after more than a season out with a knee injury, returning to the squad for the first time since May 2025. The Guardian noted that Tottenham had missed his creativity.

The result followed a resolute draw at Manchester United and a warm-weather training trip to Marbella the previous week. Spurs now have a first league win to build on; their next home performances will carry the less glamorous task of showing that this was more than a brief reprieve.