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Tottenham Hotspur picked up a 3-1 win in James Maddison's return to the starting 11 against his childhood club Coventry, and that was clearly no coincidence when you look at how well the English veteran attacking midfielder played. Not only did he score an incredible opening goal with the finesse and placement to smash the ball into the top corner with swerve across the mouth of the goal, but he also ran the show as a playmaker with smart passing and movement off the ball.

Maddison is a guaranteed starter going forward, and everyone can see that Tottenham are a better team when he plays than when he doesn't. Every single time he is out there on the pitch, fans remark at how he looks a cut above the rest of his teammates, and that was honestly the case yet again in the win over Coventry.

Tottenham will face a much, much tougher test this weekend in the Premier League against rivals Chelsea, who regularly spanked them last season and now have a more competent coach leading them in Xabi Alonso.

Roberto De Zerbi has to know his quartet

Spurs do not have Savio at their services due to a recent injury, but that only makes the front four more obvious. It's unclear if Roberto De Zerbi will continue with a back three and something of a 3-5-2 formation against the Blues on Saturday at Stamford Bridge, but regardless of the specifics, the quartet he has to roll with is definitely going to be Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Omar Marmoush, and Dominic Solanke again.

Maddison is a must as the playmaker pulling the strings. With no Savio, Kudus will be the biggest one on one threat and the inverted left footed right winger who can carry the ball into the final third and into the penalty box to wreak havoc - just as he did on the assist for Maddison's worldie.

And then you have the mercurial pairing of Omar Marmoush and Dominic Solanke, who can be a striker partnership again in a 3-5-2 or play in a way where Marmoush hangs off the left and cuts inside as the support striker to Solanek up top in the usual Tottenham Hotspur 4-3-3 setup.

But again, no matter what De Zerbi chooses, these are the four attacking players who, right now, give Spurs their best shot at winning. Their rough roles are pretty well established, too, even if the exact lineup and formation of where they stand is up in the air a bit.

When Roberto De Zerbi announced that Dejan Kulusevski would be in the Tottenham Hotspur squad for the game against Coventry on Monday Night Football, many fans assumed it was a morale boosting move similar to what De Zerbi did when he first had James Maddison come back from his ACL tear at the end of the 2025/26 season wtih appearances on the bench before coming in as a sub.

Even though Kulu was making great progress from his career threatening knee injury that occurred in the 2024/25 season around the same time as Madders's ailment, Spurs were seemingly taking things cautious, which led to many assuming Kulu would not be back in the team until November for some limited action.

Instead, the Swedish international made his triumphant return against Coventry in a 3-1 win to cap off a dream day for the Tottenham faithful, and he had a memorable run in transition where he looked a bit like the Kulu of old, which gives Spurs fans a lot of hope going forward.

Dejan Kulusevseki is the closer now

Dejan Kuluseveski has been one of Spurs best players over the years since joining from Juventus, and while there are still questions about his fitness and how explosive he can be, that glimpse of a run provided a positive, encouraging answer to the fans about what he can provide.

But all Tottenham Hotspur need from Kuluseveski right now is for him to be a spark. They just need him to do exactly what he did in his return against Coventry: come off the bench, play for a good 10-15 minutes, and help the team progress the ball into the attacking area in transition.

Kulusevski doesn't need to score, he doesn't need to be a world beating one on one player, and he doesn't need to be the team's main creator. Tottenham already have Omar Marmoush and Dominic Solanke tasked with the goals, James Maddison and Sandro Tonali to create, and Savio and Mohammed Kudus to win the take ons.

What they need Kulusevski to do is play smart with the ball, drive the game forward, be incisive, and make good passes to his teammates into the final third so that they are in position to make things happen. Kulu can and will score and assist, and maybe he can be one of the leaders in dribbles completed, too. But for now, Spurs just need Kulu to be a bright spot for 10-15 minutes who helps them close games out with wins.

The Harry Kane "doesn't show up in big games" discourse should've died an emphatic death long ago, similar to the "one-season wonder" jibes.

Sure, Tottenham's record goalscorer may not deliver in every single 'big' game he's involved in, but evidence has mounted over the years that the Ballon d'Or hopeful doesn't shirk away when it matters most. People pick and choose to suit their narrative.

Anyway, he was the best player on the pitch, perhaps in tandem with compatriot Declan Rice, when Bayern Munich faced Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday. His masterclass in soccer quarterback play meant we were treated to a Kane love-in, with Thierry Henry, Rice and Mikel Arteta, among those to wax lyrical about the auxiliary centre-forward's performance.

He was UEFA's Man of the Match in the back-and-forth 2-2 draw, reminding the world why he's a worthy contender for the 2026 Ballon d'Or awarded on Monday.

While it was Kane's assist for Alphonso Davies that facilitated much of the purring, he also scored his obligatory penalty against the Gunners. Tottenham's fiercest rivals have been subject to 16 Kane strikes dating back to 2015, more than half of which have come from the penalty spot.

And that takes us to an utterly remarkable Tottenham penalty stat.

The scarcely believable Harry Kane, Tottenham penalty stat

We got ever so used to the trademark stutter and pinpoint Kane conversion from 12 yards. Our record goalscorer scored 33 of his 37 Premier League penalties, converting the last on his penultimate appearance for the club.

Since then, Tottenham supporters have barely had the chance to celebrate a penalty award and embrace the subsequent anticipation. Son Heung-min scored a few while Ange Postecoglou was in town, but we remarkably went the entire 2025/26 Premier League season without one.

It didn't help that we were dire and struggling to craft attacks, yet it was a crazy statistical anomaly. That streak has continued into the new season, and we're now up to 45 Premier League games without a penalty. Burnley's record of 67 is under threat!

Moreover, Kane has scored 25 times from the spot for club and country since Spurs were last awarded a Premier League penalty.

Is there an explanation? Some will cry conspiracy, and we certainly have a right to feel aggrieved given some of the decisions that went against us last season. We even had a penalty overturned at Sunderland, when Randal Kolo Muani was brought down by a clumsy Luke O'Nien challenge. Soft? Sure. A 'clear and obvious' error? No chance.

Anyway, there's reason to believe that our fortunes will soon turn. The fact that we were so bad last season contributed to our penalty malaise, but Roberto De Zerbi has us playing some nice stuff. In fact, we've had more touches in the final third than any team in the Premier League this season.

Should we continue to linger around the opposition's box, it's surely only a matter of time until our penalty duck is broken.

Tottenham are back in action on Saturday, facing London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Spurs picked up their first win of their Premier League campaign on Monday night when they beat Coventry City, and that win eased the level of stress after a torrid start.

But Chelsea will offer a much stiffer test, with the Blues currently in fourth place and looking as though they could be among the top three teams in the league, although it's still early to draw that kind of conclusion.

Ahead of Saturday's derby, we have rounded up the latest injury news surrounding both sides.

Reece James - Out

James has a knee issue that required a minor surgery. Alonso has said: "We are all disappointed... He wanted to have a good start after the break, but in the last training session he picked up an injury. We wanted to be cautious and wait for the [test] result. Now, the surgery has been successful... we wish him a great recovery, and while we don’t set timelines, he will be out for several weeks."

Emmanuel Emegha - Out

Emegha has been battling to return, but it has been a frustrating rehab process for the striker. Alonso said last week: "He is not ready for tomorrow; he felt something yesterday, a little thing. He is going to be training next week, but he's still not 100 per cent fit to be playing in the game [vs EFC]." Emegha is expected to be out for another week.

Jamie Gittens - Out

Gittens has been ruled out for another 'few weeks'.Â

Malo Gusto - Doubt

Gusto has been dealing with a virus and will be a question mark here.

Pep Chavarria - Doubt

Alonso said last week: "He picked a little problem yesterday. We're not certain of the situation because it was late." Chavarria will remain a doubt here.

Emiliano Martinez - Out

Martinez fractured his jaw after a nasty collision last week and will be out for a while.

Xavi Simons - Out

Simons is out until some time in February as he bids to return from his long term knee issue.

Wilson Odobert - Out

Odobert is also out with a serious knee issue, and he is hoping to return before the end of the year.

Savio - Out

De Zerbi has confirmed: "Savio, unfortunately, on Tuesday, before we left for Marbella, he felt a muscular problem, and we lost him for some weeks, unfortunately. I don't know [how long]."

Rodrigo Bentancur - Out (Suspended)

Bentancur remains suspended.

Lucas Bergvall - Out

Bergvall is dealing with a knee issue that will keep him out for another couple of weeks. De Zerbi has said: "Lucas had a problem at the beginning of the game in Manchester, the first chance we created with Solanke, when he regained the ball, his knee... he felt pain. He finished the game, but the day after, he came to the training ground to our medical staff. I think two weeks."

Mykhailo Mudryk - Out (Suspended and injured)

Mudryk remains out until the end of the month with an ankle issue. He cannot play against his parent club in any case.

Destiny Udogie - Doubt

Udogie picked up a knee issue at Old Trafford, and he will be assessed ahead of this game.

Pedro Porro - Doubt

There is a chance Porro can return here. De Zerbi has said: "I think he's coming - maybe in Chelsea he can play."

Tottenham Hotspur's reduced schedule and a change in approach from the medical team hasn't yet drastically altered the club's fortunes on the injury front.

Spurs' previous two Premier League campaigns have been compromised by major injury crises, and although we haven't ventured into that territory just yet, a clean bill of health has so far escaped the Lilywhites—and that's excluding the long-term absentees.

We recently celebrated the return of Dejan Kulusevski after more than 500 days on the sidelines, and have received positive updates over the past month regarding the recoveries of Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons from their ACL tears.

However, De Zerbi has continued to lose bodies in recent weeks. Niggling, nagging issues are proving a source of frustration.

For Monday's must-win encounter at home to Coventry City, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall and Sávio joined the treatment table, convincing De Zerbi to switch to a hybrid back three. We're now operating on a 'short week', with a daunting trip to Stamford Bridge upcoming.

The bulk of those sidelines are expected to remain out of action this weekend, but there could be one significant return to the Tottenham team.

Pedro Porro pushing for Spurs return vs. Chelsea

Pedro Porro's season hasn't got going since he returned to Hotspur Way a World Cup champion. The right back, who turned it on down the stretch last season to help the club stay up, played an unexpected leading role for Spain in North America.

While the club committed to a significant summer overhaul, Porro remained one of the key figures entering 2026/27. However, multiple injury issues have limited the Spaniard to just 224 minutes of action across all competitions. He's been out of action since picking up a hamstring injury 19 minutes into the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa before the international break.

Porro was expected to miss weeks rather than months as a result, and he teased an imminent return on his Instagram last Friday. "Almost back," he captioned a video of him working in the gym.

Porro didn't make the matchday squad on Monday, but there's fresh hope that the right-back will make his return this weekend against Chelsea.

De Zerbi opted against deploying a right-back at all against Coventry, and although the tactical switch helped return our first Premier League win of the season, I'd fear for us if we opted for such an approach in west London.

I'm looking forward to a world when Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie are marauding down the Tottenham flanks again.

All was right in North London when the final whistle blew against Coventry City on Monday. Tottenham snatched their first Premier League victory, midfielder Dejan Kulusevski returned from injury after 526 days, and midfielder James Maddison scored the goal of the season so far. Therein lies the problem. Tottenham needed that worldie.

After the rightful celebrations, I hope manager Roberto De Zerbi sits down and realizes the numbers still indicate Tottenham possess an offensive attack that is woefully, inexplicably, painfully inept. Heading into the game, Spurs sat in 18th in expected goals per 90 minutes, at a shade over 1.00 xG. After Monday’s 3-1 win, that number went down. Spurs generated just 0.86 xG against one of the Premier League’s worst defenses.Â

Maddison’s wonder goal, for example, had an xG of just 0.05. Forward Omar Marmoush got off the schneid, but his goal also had just 0.05 xG. Again, Spurs spent too much of the game wheeling the ball around their opponent's box, unable to find a direct route to goal. They did seem to go long more, with Dom Solanke willfully chasing passes down the pitch, but Spurs seem to never been in position to win second balls. Tottenham aren’t unlucky, either.

They’ve underperformed their xG by just -0.21, and after the victory they sit in 16th place in the Premier League table. Their expected points total has them at 12th, nowhere near the Champions League qualification spots that a club of their stature should be competing for.Â

Will Roberto De Zerbi ever figure out how to unlock the Tottenham attack?

As I’ve written before, I am skeptical of De Zerbi’s ability to unlock the Tottenham offense, as he has repeatedly shown in his career an inability to adapt after opposing managers react to his tactics. Considering the victory, though, I will give him some grace and point out another glaring weakness: the number 10 position.Â

There is no doubt that James Maddison is a world-class talent. His goal against Coventry proves as much, and that kind of individual brilliance is what is needed over the course of a season. When nothing else is working, when everything seems to be going wrong, who can step up and make something happen? Bad clubs don’t have that guy. Good clubs do. Maddison can be that guy for Tottenham, and he was that guy on Monday, but he hasn’t been fit in nearly two years.

A player needs to be on the pitch to increase the likelihood of those moments of brilliance. Maddison barely played two-thirds of the game, getting subbed for Conor Gallagher—who is decidedly not a solution at the 10—at the 69th minute. Until Tottenham can dip into the transfer market, or until youngster Luca Williams-Barnett wins De Zerbi’s confidence, Spurs simply need Maddison to play, say, 80 minutes per game. Â

It’s not just Maddison’s goalscoring, either. He possesses a vision and a creativity that no one else on the roster does. Coupled with Sandro Tonali’s and Archie Gray’s defensive acumen, Maddison at long last has free reign to make things happen as Spurs’ attacking midfielder. But this means the best engine of Tottenham’s offense and their ability to compete for Europe rests on scarred, 29-year-old knees. De Zerbi better start cooking up Plan B.

We have heard constantly from people, including James Maddison before the 3-1 win for Tottenham Hotspur over Coventry, that new signing Jan Paul van Hecke from Roberto De Zerbi's old club Brighton has the most special place in the heart of the Italian manager and is truly like a son to the new manager.

Van Hecke has had a bit of a mixed set of reviews from Tottenham and even Dutch national team fans, who wildly praise his elite passing and work on the ball but are still unconvinced by his speed and some of the choppiness defensively.

But when you look a the sheer positives and the quality of the player, Van Hecke does a lot of good for Tottenham, and that good is magnified when he can focus on making interventions, passing the ball, winning possession, and being a loud and bold player rather than having to guard himself against taking risks or making mistakes.

Jan Paul van Hecke can thrive in a back three

On Monday Night Football, Tottenham Hotspur rolled with a surprise back three, which is a formation that actually led to some of their best football early in the 2025/26 season under Thomas Frank before it was abandoned. They even gave PSG a run for their mone right off the bat in the UEFA Supercup with his formation.

Tottenham had their first win of the 2026/27 Premier League season against Coventry with Roberto De Zerbi departing from his usual setup, starting Micky Van de Ven on the left and Tosin Adarabioyo on the right. And while it is no surprise that these two players liked the back three, Van Hecke may have been the biggest benefactor.

He was tremendous on Monday in the win over Coventry. The 26 year old Dutch national team star was phenomenal as a passer with a team leading 94 pass attempts and a key pass, and he was even better as a defender with an interception and a team high two blocked shots and three tackles. And he also tied his compatriot Van de Ven for the Tottenham lead with five clearances.

Again, Jan Paul van Hecke isn't the perfect player, and he didn't even have one of his best five games of the season as a passer vs. Coventry. But he really was able to shine more as a defender and take risks to put his body on the line to break plays up.

That Libero role for him, except a more forward Libero role rather than the traditional sweeper, seems to suit him well. In this central position, he can come up and pass - and even pass into chance creating areas - more, and he can also defend more aggressively with more backing around him. He is another player, like Archie Gray, who will want De Zerbi to go with a back three more, and if it benefits him, knowing how strong the relationship between coach and player is in this case, it could be a move De Zerbi chooses to go for again.

Tottenham Hotspur spent a ton of money on Sandro Tonali in order to convince Newcastle United to sell to them and not to Manchester City or Arsenal, as both Premier League title contenders were interested in bringing the athletic and technically astute Italian midfielder to their respective clubs.

Tonali became a focus of criticism from the media for a poor first month in Tottenham colors, and on a day when he should have made a statement game against Newcastle United, he was arguably the worst player on the pitch in an overwhelming 2-0 loss to the Magpies.

Since then, though, Tonali had steadily improved, and each week has offered a new side of the 2021/22 Scudetto winner with AC Milan to the Tottenham Hotspur faithful. First, he showcased elite defending, then became more in command of possesion for Spurs, and against Manchester United, he showed more decisive actions in the final third, including an insanely well placed cross for a game tying goal in the 92nd minute that not even Dominic Solanke could miss.

Sandro Tonali saved his best for Coventry

Well, Sandro Tonali has saved his best overall game for the 3-1 win over Coventry, as the Tottenham midfielder played a more anchoring role, shielding the back three and playmaking from deep to pull the strings for an even more cohesive and decisive Spurs side.

Tonali had three tackles, an interception, and four clearances to provide excellent defensive work rate for Tottenham in the win. He was also perfect in that playmaking regista role with two key passes and two fouls drawn, keeping Coventry at bay. And then as a passer, Tonali rarely misplaced a pass, completing 94 percent of his attempts as the best passer on the team, ticking play over and making sure Tottenham were always in control.

Roberto De Zerbi loves Tonali, who hails from his native Brescia in Italy, and when he splurged 100 million pounds of Tottenham's funds on the defensive midfielder from St. James's Park, he did so with the idea that Tonali would be an all around anchor for this team.

Tottenham finally got to see that level of leadership, class, consistency, and all around excellence from Tonali in their win. The Rossoneri alumn hardly put a foot wrong and truly exerted a profound infiuence on the team, with everything he touched blossoming. And for Tottenham, they will hope that this performance against Coventry is just the start for the 26 year old midfielder.

Tottenham Hotspur right winger Mohammed Kudus was pretty clearly the team's best player in the 2025/26 Premier League season when he first signed with the Lilywhites for a hefty fee from crosstown rivals West Ham United, as even Thomas Frank could not drag down the brilliant wide playmaking of the young Ghanaian international. And he even built an over reliance on the player, with Kudus's eventually season ending hamstring injury destroying Spurs up until Roberto De Zerbi came in to save the day.

Despite signing an even more blockbuster left footed winger in Savio, De Zerbi was always ecstatic to be working with Kudus. Now that he is finally fit, Kudus is starting to show the quality that made him one of the Premier League's best dribbling wingers both for West Ham and Tottenham, and it is no coincidence that his best game of the 2026/27 Premier League season thus far was also Spurs first win of the campaign, 3-1 over Coventry.

Kudus had two key passes, two dribbles completed, and two fouls drawn for Tottenham, and his strong foray into the box led to the assist for that brililant James Maddison opening goal to send a big statement to Coventry from the get go.

Mohammed Kudus was an asset in the win over Coventry

While not everything Mohammed Kudus did came off great for Tottenham Hotspur and he does have to improve his awareness, you could see how beneficial Kudus was to the team in that free right wing role, where he was able to roam the pitch and aggressively attack with more of the defensive cover in the team shaded elsewhere and the midfield working hard to allow him to isolate and take defenders on with his left foot.

Tottenham will have Savio back in a few weeks from this injury, and with the way Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush are playing together, it is going to be hard for De Zerbi not to pick them in the lineup. That means with James Maddison is big mouth to feed and a clearly vital player to the attack, Savio coming back into the lineup is going to lead to a tough decision on De Zerbi's part with Kudus.

It's a great problem to have, to pit two amazing young wingers like Kudus and Savio against each other and to only be able to start one inverted left footed winger on the right side. Because Tottenham are going to need the goals from Marmoush on the left wing and Solanke in the middle. If Kudus keeps playing this well while Savio is out, De Zerbi will have quite the conundrum on his hands.

"Believe in the process," Tottenham's £100m midfielder wrote on Instagram after Monday night's victory over Coventry City.

Some may never understand why Spurs spent as much as they did to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, but that's okay.

You may dumb him down to be no more than a runner who puts himself about, offering close to no sophistication in possession, yet in a Premier League where physicality reigns supreme and duelling is imperative, I'd rather have a Sandro Tonali in my midfield than not.

And plus, you simply don't know all that much about the sport if you believe the Italian is merely an uncultured battering ram in the middle of the park. This is a proper footballer who has already made Roberto De Zerbi's side a whole lot better.

De Zerbi-backer Tonali has upped his game after international break

Tonali had a lengthy list of suitors in the summer, with Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal among those most keen. Mikel Arteta desperately wanted the Italian before they eventually turned to his Newcastle teammate, Bruno Guimarães. Arsenal were unwilling to match the Magpies' valuation, but Spurs were.

And Tonali, who spent his formative years with Brescia, where De Zerbi was born, was smitten by his compatriot. The midfielder said De Zerbi convinced him within 10 minutes. He was a believer in the process from the get-go.

The faith in the manager from the fanbase was universal after survival was achieved last season, but an unproductive start to 2026/27, despite promising performances, has seen our conviction waver slightly. Had Spurs failed to win on Monday night, there undoubtedly would've been calls for De Zerbi's head.

The shelf life of a manager seemingly reduces year-on-year. Clubs and supporters are desperate for their Jürgen Klopp—the figurehead of a regime—yet are often so unwilling to give them the necessary time. It's instant gratification or bust. We're all so impatient.

Spurs had been progressing week-on-week at the start of a season which was always going to be sticky early after such a drastic summer overhaul. But, it's a results-oriented business, and three points was all supporters wanted on Monday.

We have played better this season and lost, so we were due such a victory. Superb strikes from James Maddison and Omar Marmoush set us on our way before Ben Davies sealed the win in stoppage time. It was just our second Premier League triumph at home since the opening day of last season. We take 'em however they come.

Life's a whole lot easier when Maddison crafts from between the lines, and Dejan Kulusevski's return was perhaps the major talking point of the evening. However, Tonali's showing shouldn't go under the radar.

De Zerbi put his compatriot on an island, adopting a 3-1-6 shape with the ball that tasked Tonali with almost single-handedly protecting against the counter-attack. He ended the night with a game-high 15 defensive contributions, per FotMob, including seven recoveries.

Tonali's our midfield fire extinguisher. He may not be your cup of tea, and you can curse at his unwillingness to break lines all you want, but the Italian is De Zerbi's on-pitch general who is starting to show why he was courted by so many in the summer.