Tottenham End 148-Day Wait for Premier League Win With 3-1 Victory Over Coventry

Tottenham Hotspur ended a 148-day wait for a Premier League victory on Monday, beating Coventry City 3-1 at home to record their first league win of the season and offer fresh hope after a difficult start to the campaign.

The result lifted Tottenham from the bottom of the standings to 16th place, with six points from seven games. They had been the last of England’s 92 professional league clubs to secure a victory this season, highlighting the scale of their early struggles.

Manager Roberto De Zerbi welcomed the performance, saying his team had played better than in previous matches.

“We are very happy for the result and we played much better than in other games. It was important to get this win,” De Zerbi said.

James Maddison made his first start since May 2025 and gave the home supporters reason to celebrate with an impressive opening goal. His return provided a boost for a team that had struggled to create attacking opportunities during the opening weeks of the season.

Omar Marmoush then strengthened Tottenham’s advantage with a powerful strike from 25 yards, scoring his first goal for the club since joining from Manchester City. Ben Davies added a third goal late in the match to complete the 3-1 victory.

Defender Jan Paul van Hecke said the team had remained patient against Coventry, who defended deep and made it difficult for Tottenham to find space.

“We knew we wanted to win and today was the day, so hopefully we can kick on from here,” Van Hecke said.

“We needed to be patient. It was not an easy game for us with Coventry’s low (defensive) block.”

Another significant moment came when winger Dejan Kulusevski entered the match as a substitute. The Swedish international returned to competitive action after an injury absence that had lasted 526 days, drawing a loud reaction from the home crowd.

The victory represented a welcome change for Tottenham, who had scored only three goals in the campaign before Monday’s match. The return of key players, improved attacking play and a more confident performance offered signs that the club’s season could be moving in a positive direction.

Tottenham spent more than £308 million ($409.70 million) during the last transfer window as part of a major rebuilding effort under De Zerbi. The investment followed a difficult previous season in which the club came close to relegation.

However, one victory will not resolve the team’s wider problems, and consistency remains the main challenge. Tottenham face another demanding test on Saturday when they travel to London rivals Chelsea.

Van Hecke said the team must approach the match with confidence and belief in its ability.

“It is another big game and we need to go there with personality and believe we can win, and we can because we have the quality,” he said.

Tottenham will now hope Monday’s result provides the foundation for a sustained improvement rather than a brief respite from their early-season difficulties.