Tottenham Hotspur secured their first home league win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Coventry City, as Dejan Kulusevski made his long-awaited return from injury and James Maddison started for the first time in 17 months.
Kulusevski came on as a substitute with the game finely balanced, and his rampaging runs into the channels helped Spurs push forward when they threatened to retreat. Despite nearly 18 months on the sidelines, there was no sign of physical inhibition as he put Coventry on the back foot.
Emotional Return for Kulusevski
Speaking to the media in the tunnel after the match, Kulusevski revealed he had told his loved ones that he might never set foot on a football pitch again. His daughter ran past wearing a shirt with "my hero, 526" on the back, highlighting the family support that drove his recovery.
"Imagine when everyone give up on you. Imagine that you can't, and you know football for me is like breathing," Kulusevski said. "Imagine you can't breathe for two years, but still you have a family, you show up, you do it with a smile, you go with your teammates, you hype them up, and that takes a lot of love, a lot of courage and a lot of belief."
Maddison's Influence in First Start
Maddison, on his first start in 17 months, was particularly influential, and his wonderstrike contributed to the win. The rare home victory, just their sixth in the past 37 home league games, owed much to his creativity and conviction.
Roberto De Zerbi believes that "with them in the dressing room, there is another atmosphere." The manager sees Maddison and Kulusevski as inspirations on and off the pitch, with their mental resilience an example for the rest of the team.
Looking Forward
The win showed Spurs what they have been missing without the duo, as they have lacked creativity and conviction in their absence. If Tottenham are to push on this season, they would do well to learn from Maddison and Kulusevski, whose mental strength has been in short supply.
