Tottenham finally gave Roberto De Zerbi a much-needed result as Coventry City were beaten 3-1 in north London on Monday.
Spurs went into the game without a Premier League win this season, but two excellent strikes and a superb late Ben Davies finish lifted them out of the relegation zone.
James Maddison provided the first moment of real quality in his first competitive start since May 2025.
Mohammed Kudus ran down the right and pulled the ball back for the midfielder who curled it brilliantly first time beyond Carl Rushworth from 22 yards.
It was an emotional moment for Maddison after a long recovery from an ACL injury, but Coventry remained dangerous when the hosts were unfocused.
Five minutes after the break, that warning came true, with Spurs unable to clear their own area and Jack Rudoni eventually curled the ball past Antonin Kinski to bring Frank Lampard’s side level.
Tottenham 3-1 Coventry City | ||
|---|---|---|
Total | Tottenham | Coventry |
Ownership | 65% | 35% |
Expected goals | 0.87 | 0.82 |
Total Shots | 16 | 12 |
Shots on target | 5 | 1 |
Shots from the target | 7 | 7 |
Blocked shots | 4 | 4 |
Big luck | 0 | 1 |
Corners | 4 | 4 |
General transmissions | 559 | 287 |
Accurate transmissions | 499 | 222 |
Transition accuracy | 89% | 77% |
Fouls | 15 | 14 |
Offsides | 6 | 1 |
Yellow cards | 1 | 3 |
Red cards | 0 | 0 |
Tottenham responded quickly as Sandro Tonali twice threatened from distance before Omar Marmus restored the lead just before the half-hour mark, turning into space and curling a powerful finish past Rashworth from the edge of the box.
Coventry were unhappy with Marmoush’s link-up with Milan van Ewijk in the build-up, but the goal survived and the summer arrival could mark a first for Spurs.
The visitors continued to push, leaving Tottenham with some anxious moments before Davies finally settled matters before extra-time.
Dominic Solanke helped bring the ball into his path and the experienced defender completed the low point to wrap up a much-needed win.
Dejan Kulusevski came off the bench for the first time in 526 days and Spurs climbed to 16th with six points from seven matches, giving De Zerbi something tangible to build on after the squad’s last trip to Marbella.
Paul O’Keefe admitted he was wrong about the Tottenham star after the Coventry win
Insider Paul O’Keefe wasn’t happy with the overall display, describing it as “more of a big win than a big performance”, but he identified a few key positives.
Tonali received the highest praise, with O’Keefe calling the Italian a “monster” after another display full of energy, aggression and authority in midfield.
However, his ruling on Tosin Adarabioyo was as interesting as anything.
The deadline day Chelsea signing marked his first Premier League start for Tottenham after previously playing just five top-flight minutes for the club.
He also started in the Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool, but this was his first proper chance to prove himself worthy of a bigger role, and O’Keefe admitted publicly that he was wrong about Tosin, the unsung hero “quietly going about his business”.
That’s significant praise for a player whose arrival attracted less attention than Tottenham’s expensive summer additions.
Tosin kept his game straight, provided a quieter presence in the back line and looked comfortable for most of his 71 minutes of action.
There was a brief scare when Tosin needed treatment and was replaced by Mateus Fernandes, but De Zerbi was reassured after the clash, saying none of the apparent problems experienced during the game appeared to be significant.
Tottenham next visit Chelsea to offer Tosin the chance to face his former club. On this evidence, De Zerbi should not be afraid to trust him again.