On Monday night, Spurs secured their first Premier League win of the season, beating Coventry City 3-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It took them out of the relegation zone, as the Lilywhites managed to build on their performance against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

James Maddison made his first start in a Tottenham shirt in nearly 18 months following an ACL injury and broke the deadlock early in the first half with a stunning strike from outside the box. While Jack Rudoni equalised after the break, Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies provided the goals for the hosts to seal the deal.

It was an emotional night for James Maddison against his boyhood club, but his return to the starting XI was eventually overshadowed by Dejan Kulusevski’s first Spurs appearance in 526 days. After being named amongst the substitutes, the Swedish star entered the game with three minutes of normal time remaining. The 26-year-old missed the whole of last season with a fractured kneecap, and his return was greeted warmly by the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful.

Roberto De Zerbi opens up on James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski being back

Kulusevski had to undergo two separate surgeries to correct his knee issue that had kept him sidelined for 18 months. It was his first competitive appearance for Spurs since he had last played against Crystal Palace in May 2025.

With Maddison starting his first game in a long time, and Kulusevski featuring off the bench against Coventry City, Roberto De Zerbi was asked about his views on the playmakers being back. To which the Tottenham boss said (h/t Football London):

“Different players, different talents, different personalities. With them in the dressing room there is a different atmosphere.”

Having now got a first league win, De Zerbi will hope to see the psychological pressure eased on his side as they look to climb up the Premier League standings. Maddison and Kulusevski are in different junctures after recovering from their respective serious knee problems.

Maddison starting a game is a massive lift for De Zerbi and Spurs. He got tired after 60 minutes and was substituted, as De Zerbi did not want to take any risks by overplaying the Englishman. Kulusevski’s return from injury hell was another big boost to the Lilywhites’ attacking unit that had failed to click into gear in the opening six league matches.

Tottenham have the full week to prepare for their next outing, which will come away at rivals Chelsea on Saturday, and both Maddison and Kulusevski will want to make vital contributions to help Spurs make it back-to-back wins.