Tottenham Hotspur recorded their first Premier League win of the season to move off the bottom of the table with a home victory over Coventry City according to BBC Sport.
Spurs, who went on a four-day warm-weather training camp in Marbella, Spain last week, only needed 14 minutes to take the lead.
Midfielder James Maddison, starting a Premier League match for the first time since 27 April, 2025 after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, scored with a superb first-time shot into the top corner after good work from Mohammed Kudus.
Dominic Solanke thought he had added a second when he converted from Andy Robertson’s pass, but the Scotland captain was offside before crossing.
Spurs midfielder Sandro Tonali, speaking to Sky Sports at half-time, said “one-nil is not enough for us” and so it proved as Coventry equalised five minutes after the restart.
Tottenham defender Jan Paul van Hecke lost possession and Jack Rudoni progressed down the left wing, the ball rebounding to him when a shot was blocked and he converted well to make it 1-1.
But the hosts retook the lead in the 58th minute.
Omar Marmoush got the goal, his first for Tottenham since joining on loan from Manchester City in August, with Spurs having an obligation to turn it into a permanent £60m deal at the end of the season.
Marmoush struck his effort powerfully, but Coventry were unhappy as the Egyptian caught Milan van Ewijk with an elbow to the face before shooting and scoring, although the goal was allowed to stand.
Ben Davies sealed the victory with a third goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time with a low strike from the edge of the box into the corner of the net.
There was a further boost for Tottenham as Sweden forward Dejan Kulusevski came on as a late substitute, making his first appearance since he suffered a serious knee injury in the 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace on 11 May, 2025.
This was only the sixth time in 37 matches that Tottenham had earned a home Premier League win and it took them from 20th up to 16th, moving above Coventry on goal difference.
Tottenham analysis: Maddison and Kulusevski provide huge boosts for Spurs
Spurs fans got to celebrate a rare and vital home victory after a poor start to their campaign in which they drew three and lost three of their opening six league games.
Wins for Fulham and Bournemouth earlier in this round of fixtures left Tottenham as the last club to register a victory in the Premier League.
Roberto de Zerbi’s team looked to be in total control at the break against a Coventry side that had not registered a shot on target in the first half.
Maddison had begun his career at Coventry and scored against his former side with a stunning opening goal.
But Tottenham, who only avoided relegation on the final day of the 2025-26 season, made it hard for themselves as they conceded soon after the restart.
Just as the home fans were getting nervous though, Marmoush scored with a powerful shot, but Coventry were unhappy the goal was allowed to stand, with the elbow on Van Ewijk judged accidental.
Newly promoted Coventry had won their past two Premier League matches and had eight minutes of stoppage time to find an equaliser, but could not create a decisive opportunity, before Davies made it 3-1.
The returns of Maddison and Kulusevski provide a huge boost to Tottenham.
Both suffered knee injuries at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, missing Tottenham’s Europa League final victory and then in Kulusevski’s case the entirety of last season.
The Spurs fans gave Kulusevski a huge reception when he warmed up in the first half, repeatedly singing his name in the second before he came on as an 85th-minute substitute to one of the biggest cheers of the night.
The only negatives for Tottenham were injuries to defenders Robertson and Tosin Adarabioyo, while Marmoush also limped off when being replaced by Kulusevski.
Coventry analysis: Sky Blues fail to build on successive victories
Frank Lampard’s Coventry came into this match in confident mood after they had defeated Nottingham Forest and played superbly to beat Newcastle 4-1 at home a week ago.
Brandon Thomas-Asante got into a good position inside the opening 20 seconds, but his dangerous cross was cut out by home goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto had an effort deflected over by Van Hecke and only a superb sliding challenge from Micky van de Ven denied Thomas-Asante a shooting chance.
Rudoni, who also scored in the win over Newcastle, got a goal back but that proved to be Coventry’s only shot on target.
After quickly conceding again, the visitors had plenty of possession, but Lampard will be disappointed they could not test Kinsky again and never really looked like scoring an equaliser.
Coventry drop to 17th, and have two vital home games this month against sides below them – Fulham on Saturday and Sunderland seven days later.