James Maddison made a sensational return to Tottenham’s starting line-up after 17 months away on Monday as Spurs beat Coventry 3-1 to claim their long-awaited first Premier League win of the season.
James Maddison makes instant impact on return as Tottenham overcome Coventry! (AFP) The England midfielder has featured only fleetingly since May 2025, when he suffered the first of two serious knee injuries.
But Maddison needed less than a quarter of an hour to put Spurs ahead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a stunning first-time strike from outside the penalty area.
Jack Rudoni levelled early in the second half but the home side were back in front just before the hour mark when Omar Marmoush lashed home his first goal for the club and substitute Ben Davies made the points safe late on.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team came into the match bottom of the Premier League and with the unwanted record of being the only team in England’s top six divisions without a league win this season despite a huge summer spend.
The Spurs boss had taken his squad to Marbella in southern Spain for some warm-weather training in a bid to kickstart their season.
He named Maddison in his starting line-up while Sweden midfielder Dejan Kulusevski returned to the matchday squad for the first time in 17 months.
Maddison ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in August 2025, just three months after injur
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