Roberto De Zerbi took his Tottenham squad to Marbella last week to lift morale ahead of a crucial game in north London, and the trip seemed to work at first, with Spurs starting brightly against Coventry City. James Maddison gave the home fans something to cheer after 14 minutes, curling a superb shot into the top corner. It raised hopes of a convincing display from the Lilywhites.
Instead of building on that, Tottenham again looked vulnerable. Jack Rudoni punished a costly mistake to pull Coventry level, leaving the hosts with more questions to answer. Omar Marmoush then restored the lead with a stunning finish, and just as the visitors looked capable of making life uncomfortable, Ben Davies struck in the 96th minute to seal a 3-1 win. It was a much-needed boost, though the performance was far from flawless, with some players impressing and others struggling.
Jan Paul van Hecke has been under growing scrutiny since joining from Brighton, with doubts over his consistency and his ability to handle the demands of playing for Tottenham. This display did little to quiet them. He was caught in possession in the build-up to Rudoni’s equaliser, a defensive lapse that threatened to undo the good start. His numbers were modest too, with just one tackle and two duels lost. Spurs got away with it, but against stronger opposition such a slip could be far more damaging, and he will need to respond well in the coming games.
Maddison, by contrast, rolled back the years. Fans were excited to see him in the starting line-up after so long away from regular first-team action, and he wasted no time showing his quality with the opener. The 29-year-old kept causing Coventry problems, winning four fouls in his 69 minutes, and he also made six defensive actions and won four duels, showing a willingness to work for the team. One match cannot settle every doubt about his fitness and level, but it gave plenty of cause for optimism, and if he stays fit and repeats it, he could become a key figure in Tottenham’s improvement.
In the player ratings, Maddison earned an 8/10 for his superb opener and his creativity, energy and quality. Dejan Kulusevski took the top score of 10/10 for an outstanding contribution off the bench. Micky van de Ven, Mohammed Kudus, Omar Marmoush, Ben Davies and Mathys Tel all got 6/10, with Marmoush praised for his finish and Davies for his stoppage-time goal.
Several others had a quieter night. Archie Gray, Tosin Adarabioyo, Dominic Solanke, Conor Gallagher and Mateus Fernandes were each rated 5/10, having worked hard or offered some solid moments without making a decisive impact. Antonin Kinsky, Andy Robertson and Sandro Tonali got 4/10 for struggling to influence the game, as did Van Hecke, whose error in the build-up to the equaliser overshadowed his other defensive work.
Overall, Tottenham will be relieved to have won after a game that mixed encouraging attacking moments with worrying defensive lapses. Maddison’s goal, Marmoush’s strike and Davies’ late finish meant Spurs did not drop points after surrendering their early lead.
Still, Van Hecke’s mistake underlined how much defensive work remains under De Zerbi. For now the result is what counts, and he will hope it becomes the foundation for a better run, but Tottenham must show they can pair their attacking quality with sharper defensive discipline.
