James Maddison Scored on His First Start in 18 Months for Spurs

• James Maddison scored in the 14th minute of his first start in 18 months as Tottenham beat Coventry City 3-1 for their first Premier League win of the season.
• The 29-year-old missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, then fractured his shoulder in the opening-weekend defeat at Brentford.
• Dejan Kulusevski also returned, as an 87th-minute substitute after 526 days out with a knee injury.

The Missing Spark Arrived in a Familiar Shirt

Roberto de Zerbi has tried an amateur psychologist’s approach, team bonding dinners and a sunshine break in Marbella to find the missing spark in a struggling Tottenham side. The answer came with James Maddison’s first start in 18 months, and Spurs finally moved off the bottom of the table with their first Premier League win of the season against Coventry City.

Maddison missed most of last season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season. He then fractured his shoulder in the opening-weekend defeat at Brentford this campaign. At 29, he finally made it back into the starting line-up and delivered in the 14th minute, taking a pass from Mohammed Kudus first time and arcing a right-foot finish from 20 yards high past Coventry keeper Carl Rushworth.

Maddison could barely keep the smile from his face as he warmed up. The goal drew loud gasps of admiration from Spurs supporters when it was shown several times on the stadium’s big screens. The goal came against his former club, yet he celebrated with his trademark imaginary dart throwing motion, then kissed the badge on his shirt.

Tottenham Won 12 of 57 League Games After His Last Goal

The numbers explain why the return mattered. Maddison’s previous top-flight goal came in a 1-0 win against Manchester United in February 2025. In the 57 Premier League games after it, Tottenham won just 12 and averaged less than a point a game. From his last start, at Liverpool on 27 April 2025, they won only 11 of 49 league games and lost 23.

BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty set out the context. It was only Spurs’ sixth victory in 37 home league games, with 10 draws and 21 defeats, and their fourth league win of 2026 from 27 games. It was also the first time they scored three or more goals at home in the league from the opening day of last season, when they beat Burnley 3-0 in Thomas Frank’s first game in charge.

The margin flattered them. Jack Rudoni equalised for Coventry before Omar Marmoush scored his first goal for the club with a curling strike. Ben Davies added the third in stoppage time after a dreadful error by Rushworth.

What Maddison and De Zerbi Said

Maddison told Sky Sports he raised the idea with De Zerbi. “I spoke to the gaffer this weekend about it, feeling like it was the right moment for me to go back into the starting XI after a bit of a stop-start start to the season,” he said.

He had a clear aim for the afternoon. “I just wanted to play well and show my abilities, show what the team has missed the last 18 months,” Maddison said. “The gaffer asked me to play and wanted to enjoy watching from the side. Hopefully I did that, and a goal is always nice.”

He was eager on the ball and constantly probing, though he tired after the break. Maddison got a standing ovation when Conor Gallagher replaced him after 69 minutes.

Kulusevski’s reception was arguably even more rapturous. He came on for Kudus in the 87th minute after 526 days out with a knee injury. De Zerbi welcomed back both players. “They are different players, different talents, different personalities,” he said. “With them in the dressing room there is a different atmosphere.”

Spurs Now Face Chelsea Away

De Zerbi knows one win is only a start. Tottenham travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday evening, with kick-off at 17:30 BST. McNulty writes that Marmoush will gain confidence from his strike, and De Zerbi hopes the returns of Maddison and Kulusevski can speed up an improvement after a miserable run of results.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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