Tottenham beat Coventry to claim first Premier League win of season – as it happened

Righto, Jacob Steinberg’s match report is here: As such, we’re finished here. Thanks for your company and comments; peace out. The absolute state of this ailing thing of ours. Why can’t people just be alright? “How many teams manage to double both their points and goals scored in a single day in mid-October?” wonders Phil Moseley.

Yup, and Spurs have some winnable games coming up too. Chelsea away this weekend will be tricky but then comes Palace home, Leeds away, Ipswich home, Sunderland away, Fulham home. We’ll have a decent idea of the kind of season they’ll have at the end of that run.

A terrific night for Spurs, Maddison making a scoring return, Kulusevski also coming back, and a first league win of the season. They didn’t play especially well but they’ll be better for this, while Coventry again showed enough to suggest they’ve a chance of staying up.

90+7 min The third goal is, in a way, just reward for trying to score it – last week, Spurs benefited from a side too scared to pursue a clincher, a mistake they’ve not made themselves. After 148 days, Tottenham are going to win a league game! Tel does well to take time out of the game and, when his cross is cleared to the edge, an important touch from Solanke allows Davis to swipe a low trivela that arcs just inside the near post.

Relief inside the ground! 90+5 min Tel keeps the ball in the corner, then his cross is cleared to the edge of the box… 90+4 min The delivery isn’t bad but Van de Ven heads clear at the front post and Spurs are halfway there. 90+3 min Coventry opt not to launch a long throw, instead putting a pass into the box and keeping the attack alive well before Mason-Clark wins a corner.

90+2 min Now Spurs attack, Tel looking to draw a curler into the far top corner and making out like he was close, but he wasn’t. 90+1 min From a seemingly impossible position close to the by-line and Van Hecke in front of him, Mason-Clark drives over a cross that Awoniyi attacks … but can’t quite reach.

90 min We’ll have eight additional minutes – just as there were when Spurs were trailing last weekend. 89 min Davies leaves one on Kesler-Hatden and Hamer sends the free-kick into the box, Thomas up, but Spurs clear and Kulusevski leads the counter alone, crossing way beyond the far post to no one.

88 min Kulusevski was given a proper welcome and his first touches are cheered around the ground; his heart will be doing happy hardcore beats. 87 min Coventry, meanwhile, send on Kesler-Hayden for Rudoni. 86 min After Maddison’s goal another affirming moment for Spurs, Marmoush going down with what might be cramp, Kulusevski replacing him.

He gets the big welcome he deserves; let’s hope he can stay fit now, because if he can, he’s a proper player. Oh and Tel also comes on, with Kudus going off. 84 min Caoventry are now building the play with four men on the last line and Mason-Clark lays back for Dasilva whose cross isn’t bad, but Rudoni can’t quite crane his neck-muscles enough to head at goal.

83 min Spurs keep it well, burning time, but I bet there are some fans who half want them to concede now, so they’ve time to seek a winner. Such is the torment of a low-scoring sport. 81 min Davies nashes down the left and Spurs again move the ball right to Kudus.

Again, he comes infield but this time he crosses and, when the clearance reaches Fernandes, he curls a sidefooter into Rushworth’s arms. 80 min Good work from Tonali, who weaves by a couple of challenges in midfield before the ball makes its way out to Kudus, who dips infield to open the angle for a curler, before sending his effort over the bar.

79 min Tonali humps out of play, yet more evidence Spurs are feeling this, and if they can’t rely on him to keep the head, who can they rely on? But they do get the long throw away and set off on the attack. 78 min Changes for Coventry, Mason-Clark and Hamer replacing Sakamoto and Thomas-Asante, who’s probably been their best player.

77 min Thomas-Asante intercepts a poor pass from Gallagher and seeks Rudoni, who can’t quite take the ball away from Van Hecke. Still, though, Spurs look nervous already, a feeling that’ll only intensify as we get nearer full time. 74 min I guess whatever colour Coventry’s kit is, it looks like what it’s meant to be.

The first time I saw Sunderland’s pink Elvis top, not one part of me believed it not to be leisurewear. 73 min Van Ewijk robs Kudus deep inside the Spurs half and flights a cross to the back post … just over Rudoni. Coventry are playing with the belief that they can equalise.

72 min Play resumes with a Coventry throw, Van Eweijk hurling into the box and Spurs heading clear. 70 min Changes for Spurs, Davies for Robertson, Gallagher for Maddison – who enjoys the acclaim of the crowd as he departs – and Fernandes for the cramping Tosin.

I guess they’ll go to 4-2-3-1. 68 min Coventry are building a bit of pressure, a cross-kick into the box allowing Thomas to leap all over Gray, heading back across and forcing Van de Ven to diving head away. Already, it’s a bit panicked and, with so long left, that is not the way spurs want to be defending.

67 min “Completely agree about how horrible Parma Violets taset,” says David Wall. “However they’re very useful when ground up if you want to colour the purple layer of a rainbow cake and haven’t got the right food dye. Fortunately the violet flavour is subtle enough that you can’t actually taste it in the cake.” That is good information, thanks – though would one not use Fizzers to get the same effect and a bit more action?

65 min Coventry are indeed getting Rudoni into the game, as we said they’d have to; he’s drifting about unchecked and lasers a pass into the box that Awoniyi can’t quite get on the end of. As long as it stays 2-1, Coventry have a decent chance of sneaking a point.

64 min A fine long pass from Van Hecke sets Solanke at Thomas, right side of the box, and he chops inside well only to see the shooting lanes closed down, thwacking an effort that’s blocked. 64 min Tonali runs away from Rudoni, who slides in for the hell of it and snags an ankle; he’s booked, as he knew he would be.

62 min Credit to Spurs, by the way, who didn’t feel sorry for themselves after conceding but went after a second goal – which they ought really to have done straight after their first. They’ve not made that mistake this time, though, pushing hard for a clinching third.

61 min A double change for Coventry, Onyeka and Awoniyi for Yirenkyi and Cherif. 60 min There was proper contact but VAR deems it accidental, which I think is a bit of a touch for Spurs. I guess it’s one of those you’re vexed if you score it and it’s chalked off, but you’re also vexed if it’s scored against you and it isn’t, so it makes some sort of sense to go with the original call.

Marmoush spins Van Ewijk, introducing elbow to nose in the process, feints the shot then, stepping inside, punches a curler from 20 yards that Rushworth gets hands to but can’t keep out. That’s his first goal for Spurs, but will VAR disallow it? 56 min “Coventry’s is kit the same colour as Farage’s blazer on big paper’s lead story,” notes James Chambers.

What are we calling this? Innocent guv lilac? 55 min Again, Tonali seizes on a loose ball, swiping studs across it to evade a challenge before welting another shot over the top. 52 min We said Spurs would need a second goal and they’re seeking one, Kudus hitting the line and cutting back a decent cross, half-cleared to Tonali, charging in … and he hammers an effort that flies over the top.

51 min VAR wants a look at the goal because there’s a claim the ball hit Thomas-Asante on the arm, but a replay shows it was chest. There he is! Van Hecke, again over halfway, runs into trouble, and Thomas-Asante carries forward, finding Rodoni out on the left and drilling into the box for Yirenkyi, wo feeds back to him.

So he tries a shot which hits Thomas-Asante in the middle but, having followed the pass, he’s well-placed to force a second shot past Kinsky, who gets a solid touch to it but can’t stop it from looping in. 48 min Spurs move the ball from side to side, Van Hecke stepping up from right centre-back to add an extra body, but Sakamoto then intercepts a Van de Ven pass and Coventry bring it away.

46 min I wonder if Coventry can get Rudoni into the game because so far, near enough the entirety of their threat has come from Thomas-Asante. 46 min We go again… Half-time email: “There are a few players who slip through the fingers of every major club,” writes John Tumbridge.

“My current gripe is Lankshear scoring for fun for Middlesbrough.” To restore cosmic balance, check out this goal Spurs loanee Oli Irow scored for Plymouth a few weeks ago. For those unfamiliar … Half-time reading: some Spurs v Coventry fun from the vault. James Maddison’s brilliant goal offers us an uplifting moment and gives Spurs the lead.

They’ve been the better team, but Coventry have looked dangerousish at times, and will fancy themselves to get something from the game as long as it stays 1-0. 45+3 min Spurs end the half with more controlled possession, then Kudus slides in behind for Gray, hitting the line, who tries to win a corner but the ball ricochets off Dasilva and back on to him, so it’s a goalkick, which should take us to the break.

45+1 min We’ll have three additional minutes. 45 min Kudus teases Dadsilva, controlling on his thigh and lifting ball over head in what, I believe, the youtdem call a chapeau. So when he looks to move by on the outside, Dasilva hauls him back and is booked. 44 min A warning for Coventry and again Thomas-Asante is in behind but Van de Ven, who played him onside, uncorks his famed recovery pace, sliding in to make a fine challenge.

43 min I think we may have a correct answer: “That’s Parma Violet every day,” reckons Rob Watson. “Ask any kid from the 70s….” This 80s kid agrees. Without doubt the worst-tasting sweet ever, I’d rather eat pot pourri. 42 min Spurs knock it about, probing, with Coventry sitting in shape, a back five with three in front looking to get around the ball.

They force play backwards, and the home side start again. 40 min I wonder if, at half-time Lampard will instruct a midfielder to sit on Maddison because, so far, he’s enjoying far too much freedom. 39 min Coventry have been better these last few minutes but Spurs still look dangerous, Marmoush finding Tonali, who punches a pass in behind for Solanke; he spins, hits with his laces … and the ball flies over the top.

37 min Kinsky comes for the corner and the ball passes between his hands, but Spurs get it away anyway. 36 min Cheers as Kulusevski warms up, then Cherif barges away from Tonali, shooting from distance … and winning a corner when a decent effort is created. He then tussles with Maddison, who goes down and the ref speaks to both.

36 min “Coventry’s club shop describes this kit as ‘a purple-toned base … with a contemporary dotted pattern in dark purple and shades of orange,’” advises Eric Bader. “All of which is completely impossible to distinguish on television. But really, it’s lilac.” 35 min He swings out and Thomas heads away.

32 min Coventry lose the ball down the left so Solanke carries it forward and Spurs move it about, intimating confidence. They’ll know, though, that they need a second goal, and they’re seeking one, Maddison dictating so much of their play and winning a free-kick with an adroit turn away from Grimes, who can’t help but tread on him.

Marmoush will deliver, 30 yards out, right of centre. 31 min And, though Marmoush’s delivery is headed clear, the ball ends up with Maddison, just outside the box on its left corner, so he swerves in one of those nasty crosses the keeper can’t come for in case someone gets a touch, powerless to intervene as it drifts just wide.

30 min After a frantic opening, things have quietened a little, but as i type, Solanke dashes in behind chasing a Maddison pass and Spurs win a corner. 27 min “When I worked in fashion,” brags Gary Naylor, “we’d have called that colourway Magenta. And if it were in stretch corduroy, ‘Hot Magenta’.

Hmmm, maybe I read too much Jennings as a kid, but Linbury Court’s magenta uniform was, in the cover illustrations, much redder than this kit. 25 min Coventry’s striker lands awkwardly on a shoulder – Cherif don’t like that, can’t believe I failed to make that pun last Monday night, apologies to all– so takes some medical attention.

He should be fine. 23 min The free-kick comes to nothing but Coventry have steadied a little. Still, Spurs go at them again, Robertson crossing, again into a decent area, forcing Thomas to head away though Rushworth would probably have collected. 22 min “Puce or maybe mauve,” says Matthew Cobb of the Coventry kit, but I think it’s purpler than puce and pinker than mauve.

Meantime, Thomas-Asante gets away inside the centre-circle – he’s been lively thus far – so Solanke pulls him down and is the second man to be booked. 21 min …and his delivery is decent too, between keeper and defensive line, but Coventry get the ball away. 20 min My SkyGo crashes, returning just in time for me to see Yirenkyi arrive late on Gray, introducing studs to heel at cost of a yellow card.

Robertson will send in an outswinger…. 17 min Coventry had started the game well, too, bursting with confidence after consecutive wins, but Spurs are all over them now; they need to consolidate and take care to stick in the game. 15 min I can’t imagine how awful the last year-odd has been for Maddison, watching his career dwindle and his mates struggle, fighting through long, lonely sessions of pain and rehab.

He is buzzing. Five hundred and thirty-six days of pain and desperation, gone in a moment of glorious ecstasy! Kudus moves down the right and snaps back to Maddison, near the corner of it, and he sweeps a luxuriant dipper that loops over Rushworth and in! What a feeling that must be, and Spurs lead in a league game for the first time this season!

13 min “With the benefit of hindsight,” says John Brennan, “it might look like Tottenham made a mistake selling Troy Parrott but if you go back to 2024 when they sold him, there was no way that you could argue they should keep him. He had four loan spells in the Championship and League 1 without pulling up any trees.

He then had a loan spell in Holland with a team who got relegated. He had a decent record there but he hit a purple patch at end of 23-24 which included a couple of hat tricks that made it look better than it was. I don’t think there was any Tottenham fan saying he was the answer and perhaps more importantly, I don’t think he would have developed without the game time he got at AZ which he was not going to get at Tottenham.” Yeah, he was someone I knew about when he was really young, whose development stalled.

I guess it’s the job of the club to persevere, so perhaps they might’ve done well to loan instead of sell him. 12 min Maddison plays into Solanke and keeps running, but his mate turns and thunders a shot into the nearest defender. 11 min The corner is decent too, picking out Thomas at the back post.

He heads behind, then the whistle goes for infringement indeterminate. 10 min Coventry have settled nicely, moving the ball through midfield before Sakamoto takes a pass from Thomas-Asante, moving it on to Van Ewijk outside him before collecting the return, shooting hard … and into Van Hecke’s swede, the ball falling behind without the defender knowing much about it.

8 min Now Sakamoto loses Gray, moving outside then in before curling into the corridor, Kinsky doing just enough, coming for the all and missing but getting it away with a trailing leg. 7 min nice from Rudoni, diddling Tonali down the left with clever feet and wearing the inevitable foul.

He’ll swing into the box, but doesn’t get enough elevation, so Spurs clear easily enough. 5 min It looks like Spurs are indeed playing a back three, Robertson the left wing-back and Kudus nominally on the right, but not really. 3 min What colour are we saying this Coventry away kit is?

I guess they’ve got form. 1 min From kick-off, Coventry go backwards then load up their right-hand side, a long punt flicked on by Rudoni and Thomas-Asante latches on, but he’s pretty wide in the box, lashing a cross-shot that Kinsky gathers on the dive. Or, in other words, the plan worked pretty well, but needed a man in the middle to profit from the ball in.

1 min The players take the knee and off we go. It’s strange that Spurs paid so much for Mateus Fernandes, but have used him so sparingly. My guess is that tactically, he’s not doing what De Zerbi wants, but he’s a class above their other options, so I’m surprised we’ve not seen him stuck into the no 8 position and allowed to settle.

…and here they come! Our teams are tunnelled… I’m looking forward to seeing Rudoni and Cherif tonight. Rudoni is one of those personalities whose belief is so strong it’s almost a skill, and he’ll relish the chance to show what he can do tonight. He’ll be looking to run off Maddison, I imagine, while Cherif will fancy himself to win the physical battle with Van Hecke and shoot quickly with little backlift.

De Zerbi tells Sky that Spurs have injuries and he likes putting players in their best positions, so Gray and Maddison will both play midfield. Savio and Bergvall played well in Manchester but are injured, while Udogie felt his knee so they didn’t want to take a chance on him.

Spurs had a training camp in Marbella last week, which was important for his vision to create relationships and mentality in the team. Dignity! Coventry, meanwhile, will know Van Hecke lacks pace, so I’d expect Cherif to play on him while, in behind, Rudoni takes chances, gambling with ambitious passes and shots.

If Tosin is indeed at right-back but even if he isn’t, Dasilva and Sakamoto will look to double-up down the left, while Yirenkyi and Grimes restrict the central spaces Spurs will be hoping to control. If their wide players are brave enough to keep the width, they can make chances tonight.

Where is the game? Spurs will look to dominate possession, with Gray and Tonali dictating play, so Maddison, Kudus and Marmoush can buzz about behind Solanke. The absence of a proper winger means they’ll probably look to create centrally, Solanke attacking space for little balls in behind, before going wide to put crosses into a well-populated box.

“None of this is De Zerbi’s fault,” reckons Dave Estherby, “yet lose tonight and surely, he’s toast.” I’m not sure about that. I’m guessing, but I’d be shocked if, when he took the job, he didn’t insist on certain levels of spending and control. On top of which, he picks the team, so I’d say some of their failings can be attributed to him, but I’d be shocked if he gets the flick, even with a defeat tonight.

My impression is the board have committed to him and, given the underlying data isn’t terrible, I expect them to stick with their man. Spurs’ principal problem so far this season has been scoring goals. De Zerbi is famed as Mr Buildup and seems to have inculcated decent method in his charges.

But he can’t stick their chances away for them and, in Dominic Solanke, they have a 29-year-old striker who, if we’re being honest, has put together one serious season in his career. I wonder if anyone regrets selling Troy Parrott. Thinking a little bit more about the Spurs formation, I find it hard to believe De Zerbi sticks Maddison in a two-man midfield – in ant event, but all the more so after so long out.

BBC reckon it’ll be 3-4-2-1, but my sense is Tosin plays right-back and has been included to guard against Coventry’s aerial threat. Email! “Quick point of order about the preamble,” says Kieran McHugh. “Basically correct until the last sentence. As a Spurs fan I can attest that this will not be fun.” That’s exactly what makes it fun.

I guess it’s possible Spurs stick with four in defence, but it’d mean Tosin playing right-back, which seems unlikely; we shall see. Just the one change for Coventry, meanwhile: Ephron Mason-Clark drops to the bench, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto coming in for his first Premier League start.

Taking a closer look, the headline news for Spurs is that James Maddison makes his first start in 536 days, while Dejan Kulusevski is in the matchday squad for the first time in 526 days. And if we want another number, they’re the only team in the top six divisions yet to have won a game this season.

Otherwise, by the looks of things, Roberto De Zerbi has to three at the back, with Tosin Adarabioyo coming in for his first Premier League start, while Micxky van de Ven, Andy Robertson and Omar Marmoush also come in; dropping out are Marcos Senesi, the injured Destiny Udogie, Conor Gallagher, Lucas Bergvall, and the also injured Savio.

Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-2-1): Kinsky; Tosin, Van Hecke, Van de Ven; Gray, Tonali;, Maddison, Robertson’ Kudus, Marmoush; Solanke. Subs: Dubravka, Senesi, Gallagher, Tel, Fernandes, Kulusevski, Davies, Olusesi, Williams-Barnett. Coventry City (4-2-3-1): Rushworth, Van Ewijk, Thomas, Pinnock, Dasilva, Yirenkyi, Grimes, Rudoni, Sakamoto, Thomas-Asante, Cherif.

Subs: Bentley, Simms, Mason-Clark, Mluni, Awoniyi, Onyeka, Kesler-Hayden, Torp, Hamer. Referee: Andy Madley (Huddersfield) Sport’s ability to ape and shape the world means it teaches us many things, often in a friendlier environment than real life. It is, for example, better to learn the Australian states and their capitals during an Ashes series than by rote in a geography lesson, just as the accordant failure and disappointment is – ultimately!

– less painful to process when it’s happening to yet another bunch of hapless tourists than when it’s happening to us. Football, though, is a slightly different thing, the constant competition and the way in which teams are passed down through families installing their nature as part of our personalities, both heirloom and genetics.

And within that, there’s supporting Tottenham, a relentless barrage of dark nights and false dawns delivering martyrdom to the afflicted and mirth to everyone else. Even in context, though, a summer spend in excess of £300m, to go from fourth-bottom to bottom, is exceptional behaviour, suggesting a malaise too encoded to alleviate.

But it is also the case that their performances have been better than three points from six games suggest – which might be viewed as integral to the nature of it all, or might indicate an imminent upturn. Tonight’s match will give us a decent idea as to which interpretation is accurate.

Coventry – whose fans understand a misery far beyond the conception of Spurs types – arrive in N17 following an uplifting thrashing of Newcastle. As such, they will be confident, physical and beatable or, in other words, exactly the kind of outfit against which Spurs are prone to fail.

A win tonight would take Frank Lampard’s men up the table from 16th to 11th but, more than that, with home games against Fulham and Sunderland coming up next, it could set them up for the season. This should be fun… Kick-off: 8pm BST