James Maddison described his return to Tottenham’s starting XI as a “dream” after scoring in a 3-1 victory over Coventry City following a difficult recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The midfielder, making his first Premier League start since April 2025, opened the scoring in the 14th minute at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a superb curling finish over Carl Rushworth and into the top-left corner.
Jack Rudoni equalised for Coventry early in the second half, but Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies restored Tottenham’s advantage as Roberto De Zerbi’s side secured only their sixth home Premier League win in their past 37 matches (D10 L21).
The result was Tottenham’s fourth league victory of 2026 from 27 matches (D10 L13), and their first Premier League game in 36 outings in which they scored more than two goals.
It was also the first time Spurs had scored at least three goals at home in the league since the opening matchday of last season, when they beat Burnley 3-0. They became the first side to score three goals from outside the box in one Premier League match since Fulham against Leicester City in May 2023.
Maddison’s goal was his 21st from outside the box since making his Premier League debut in August 2018. No other player has scored more than 19 in that period, with Kevin De Bruyne and James Ward-Prowse level on 19.
The match was Maddison’s first competitive start for Tottenham since the 2024-25 Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt. His ACL injury, suffered last August, had led to a lengthy and difficult rehabilitation.
“They’re just a bit blurry. They’re the ones you dream of. Recovering from the ACL last year, those dark days,” Maddison told Sky Sports.
“They are the ones you dream of, those goals. Always the light at the tunnel for you. And for Dejan Kulusevski, I felt proud for him because I knew exactly how he felt.
“Those moments and those goals make it all worth it.”
Kulusevski was included in a Premier League matchday squad for the first time in 526 days. He came on for Mohammed Kudus in the 87th minute and received a standing ovation from the home supporters.
The victory eased pressure on De Zerbi before this weekend’s meeting with Chelsea. The Tottenham manager praised his players’ response after conceding and said Kulusevski’s return was particularly significant.
“I am delighted with the result, the attitude, the spirit and the reaction after the goal we conceded,” De Zerbi said. “Honestly, we did not play as well as in the last games.
“But now, because of our responsibility, they deserve credit as they defended very well and compact.
“Fantastic moment and fantastic human [Dejan]. We celebrated him in the dressing room after the game. He is maybe the most important thing after this win.
“Now we have to understand whether we are able to win because, after two or three seasons like this, the mental aspect is crucial. They have suffered a lot. We have to push, we have to improve the quality of the play for sure, but we are a good team, a very good team.”
