Tottenham finally gave Roberto De Zerbi the result he desperately needed as Coventry City were beaten 3-1 in north London on Monday.
Spurs went into the game without a Premier League victory 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 on his first competitive start since May 2025.
Mohammed Kudus escaped down the right and pulled the ball back for the midfielder, who curled a brilliant first-time effort beyond Carl Rushworth from 22 yards.
It was an emotional moment for Maddison after his long recovery from an ACL injury, but Coventry remained dangerous whenever the hosts became careless.
That warning became reality five minutes after the break, with Jack Rudoni eventually forcing the ball beyond Antonin Kinsky after Spurs failed to clear their area, bringing Frank Lampard’s side level.
Tottenham 3–1 Coventry City | ||
|---|---|---|
Total | Tottenham | Coventry |
Possession | 65% | 35% |
Expected goals | 0.87 | 0.82 |
Total shots | 16 | 12 |
Shots on target | 5 | 1 |
Shots off target | 7 | 7 |
Blocked shots | 4 | 4 |
Big chances | 0 | 1 |
Corners | 4 | 4 |
Total passes | 559 | 287 |
Accurate passes | 499 | 222 |
Pass accuracy | 89% | 77% |
Fouls | 15 | 14 |
Offsides | 6 | 1 |
Yellow cards | 1 | 3 |
Red cards | 0 | 0 |
Tottenham responded quickly, though, as Sandro Tonali twice threatened from distance before Omar Marmoush restored the lead just before the half hour mark, turning into space and bending a powerful finish past Rushworth from the edge of the box.
Coventry were unhappy about Marmoush’s contact with Milan van Ewijk during the build up, but the goal survived, and the summer arrival was able to celebrate his first for Spurs.
The visitors continued to push, leaving Tottenham with some uncomfortable moments before Davies finally settled matters deep into added time.
Dominic Solanke helped the ball into his path and the experienced defender finished low to round off a much-needed victory.
There was another major boost when Dejan Kulusevski came off the bench for his first competitive appearance in 526 days, and Spurs climbed to 16th with six points from seven matches, giving De Zerbi something tangible to build upon after the squad’s recent trip to Marbella.
Paul O’Keefe admits he was wrong about Tottenham star after Coventry win
Insider Paul O’Keefe was not convinced by the overall display, describing it as a “huge win rather than huge performance”, but he identified several major positives.
Tonali received the loudest praise, with O’Keefe calling the Italian a “monster” after another display full of energy, aggression and authority in midfield.
However, his verdict on Tosin Adarabioyo was every bit as interesting.
The deadline day signing from Chelsea was handed his first Premier League start for Tottenham after previously playing only five top flight minutes for the club.
He had also started the Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool, but this was his first proper chance to prove he deserves a larger role, and O’Keefe openly admitted he was wrong about Tosin, with the unsung hero “quietly going about his business”.
That is significant praise for a player whose arrival attracted far less attention than many of Tottenham’s expensive summer additions.
Tosin kept his game straightforward, provided a calmer presence in the back line and looked comfortable for much of his 71 minutes of action.
There was a brief scare when Tosin required treatment and was replaced by Mateus Fernandes, but De Zerbi offered reassurance afte the clash, by saying none of the apparent problems suffered during the game looked significant.
Tottenham travel to Chelsea next, offering Tosin the chance to face his former club. On this evidence, De Zerbi should have little fear about trusting him again.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
