1,000 days: Maddison and Kulu RETURN from injury nightmares | Football Weekly
Spurs end long wait as Maddison and Kulusevski return to offer hope
Football Weekly discusses Tottenham finally winning a league game after 148 days, becoming the last of the 92 teams to win. The panel says the victory was not convincing but was huge for morale and for Roberto De Zerbi, with Maddison and Kulusevski potentially adding the sharpness the team lacks. They also criticise Spurs' fragility under adversity and debate whether Marmoush's goal should have been disallowed for an elbow.
- The win was not convincing but is a massive result for Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham — Spurs had gone 148 days without a league win and were the last of the 92 teams to win, so the mood and mentality shift matters
- If Maddison can start consistently, he will give Spurs the cutting edge they have lacked — He has sharpness in his game that the team misses when he is absent, even if he is not expected to score long-range goals constantly
- Maddison is a wonderful player to watch who controls the ball at his own pace and produces high-quality finishes — He does not look fully fit yet but is still hard to dispossess, his goal had a brilliant curl, and his infectious love of the game lifts the mood
- Missing a number 10 changes the whole dynamic, and Maddison is technically one of the best — It is very hard to have two number 10s of the same quality in a squad, so losing one leaves no like-for-like replacement and alters how the team functions
- Spurs have dealt with adversity badly and are prone to folding, so getting over the line matters for De Zerbi — They have spent a lot of money and should not have a bad squad, yet they often collapse under pressure; this win suggests they are a bit stronger than before
- Spurs must keep players fit and find a more consistent striker if they are to build — Marmoush scoring is a positive and Maddison's return gives them goals from more sources, but they still need someone who scores regularly
- Marmoush's goal should not have been ruled out for the elbow contact — The footage looks more like the Coventry player's face running into Marmoush's elbow than an elbow into the face, and Marmoush is not obliged to move his elbow
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski returned to pitch after a combined three years on the treatment table. Just as seldom seen, Spurs actually won a game of football! Max Rushden is joined by Nicky Bandini, Lars Sivertsen and Will Unwin to discuss whether Spurs can sustain this hot run of form which saw them become the last professional team in England to win a league game. Watch the full podcast episode ► https://youtu.be/qevjojVKSXc Subscribe to Guardian Football ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardianfootball?subconfirmation=1 We want your feedback! If you had any thoughts on our coverage of the World Cup, please let us know here ► www.theguardian.com/YTWorldCupSurvey The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► https://support.theguardian.com/ Guardian Football Weekly: https://www.tiktok.com/@guardianfootballweekly https://www.instagram.com/guardianfootballweekly/ Website ► https://www.theguardian.com Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/theguardian Bluesky ► https://bsky.app/profile/sport.theguardian.com Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/guardiansport/ The Guardian on YouTube: The Guardian ► https://www.youtube.com/@theguardian Football Weekly podcast ► https://www.youtube.com/@footballweeklypodcast Guardian News ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiannews Guardian Australia ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardianaustralia Guardian Sport ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiansport
Transcript
Uh so yeah, on Monday, Tottenham became the uh last side in the 92 to win a football match. 148 days since their last league victory. Um I there's quite a lot of offse in in that time. Um was that 148 days since they beat Everton in the last day of the season? Maybe. Um I mean it is LZ with your Spurs hat on a it is a it wasn't convincing but it's such a massive result for Roberto Deserby. Yeah, I think this matters because of the vibes and the mentality of the situation. Of course, you should be at Comry at home with all due respect to Comry, but just having having Madison score a brilliant goal. Uh having Kurosvki play football again, having a game in which there were like there were moments of joy there the the people could feel joy at the Tottenham Huff Stadium. Uh I think that's very positive. You got listen, you got to start somewhere. And and and the Madison goal is like Madison coming back and being able to start games if he's able to do that consistently matters because Spurs are really he brings a cutting edge that the team has really been lacking. Uh we're [snorts] not expecting him to score sort of mid-range or long-range bangers constantly, but he has a sharpness to his game um that uh that really this team lacks without him. And Kulleski, if he can come back in some kind of form, would be a huge boost. So So a happy day all around for the Tottenham. Yeah, I mean you mentioned that Madison Goldwell. It is such a he's such a wonderful player to watch because he's doing it completely at his own pace and and like somehow seems to be able to just keep the ball even though he doesn't like he doesn't look 100% fit. like he looks like the other players should just be able to get it off him, but he has just real ability and the goal like the the curl on that ball is such a such a brilliant finish and he's got such a sort of infectious love of the game and so just even just his smile just like I'm happy to be doing this thing. I just thought it was a really as as L said it was just a a happy thing to happen at the Tottenham Hotsour Stadium which is it's rare for Tottenham to have happy things happen. >> Yeah. Madison just if occasionally feels like that guy at five aside that doesn't move but is absolutely dominating everyone else whatever they try >> retired ex-pro who turns up for a Sunday league match you know that sort of >> exactly as as you say it is his own pace it's his own game and I think as with any squad not it's very hard to have two number 10's um so when you are missing one yeah you know there's rarely you get one a the same quality or b even have one in the squad. So it changes the whole dynamic. I mean he is he's a silky player. you know, technically one of the best going. You know, others will probably say in the past that, you know, you need more pace to to be elite and he's sort of in and out at international level and things like that over his career. But Tottenham have been a team that needed a boost and I think you know LZ is touching on getting those players back on the pitch Madison from the start Kleski but the fact that I think over the time dealing with you know you spent three 300 million quid you're not going to have a bad squad it'd have it' be a feat if you do so obviously something else go and they've dealt with adversity terribly in games like they are the kings of you know sort of folding >> and so when Coventry come back into it. You do wonder. But I think getting over the line on Monday is really important for them, really important for deserby that they have that that they shown that they are a bit stronger than previously. And yeah, if they can keep the players fit, if they can find a striker that can score more consistently, Marmush getting a goal is really good for them as well. You know, he was a really good player at City. Maybe not going to be a start every week, but >> you know, goals are coming from more places i.e. Madison back Marmush appreciate Bren Davis but yeah I think it was an important moment for them but as we've seen we've talked over the years finishing 17th is their main thing so you've got to actually build >> well of course I mean look it's Chelsea away next I mean literally the most guaranteed defeat in Premier League any Premier League season Frank Lambert was a bit disappointed with that Mmush goal cuz he caught his elbow caught Van Uick in the face I'm too biased I I would have been annoyed if that was a foul but I'm happy to be told I'm too biased l I'm I'm both biased And I don't enjoy ref chat. So I am definitely not a good person to come to hair. I [laughter] I don't care. I'm going to go full Barry hair and go I just don't care. I was [laughter] Listen, let me let me listen. Let me take this seriously and go and find Listen, I found the gif here of it happening and it just looks like he's got his elbow pretty >> it's it's very much face to elbow, not elbow to face. I feel I feel this is the Coventry player running into an elbow that's sticking out there. And I don't think Mammush is obliged to move his elbow just because there is an incoming commentary player. >> Producer Ty, who is an Arsenal fan and you know a co-host of the Tuesday club, uh he said it's not a foul and I really wanted it to be. So we're we're all good. Um so really >> face to the referee says face to elbow, not elbow to face. >> Yeah, in fact he should have been booked for headbutting poor Omar Mush's tiny little weedy elbow there. Mhm. >> Anyway, let's see how they go against Chelsea.