‘This’ Tottenham star played his first game of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur’s winless home run continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds United on Monday evening.
Spurs’ last Premier League win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium came in December 2025 when they beat Brentford 2-0. They had a great opportunity to end the barren run at home by beating Leeds United and going four points clear of the relegation zone. However, Roberto De Zerbi’s side were frustrated by the Whites, who came very close to clinching the winner deep into stoppage time via Sean Longstaff, but he was brilliantly denied by Antonin Kinsky.
It certainly is a disappointing result for Tottenham to have managed just one point from the game. West Ham had fallen short earlier in the gameweek, losing 1-0 to Arsenal, who handed Spurs a huge favour, but De Zerbi’s side failed to capitalise. Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith highlighted the positives Spurs must take after the draw with Leeds United. And one of those certainly was the return of James Maddison.
James Maddison makes his first appearance of the season for Tottenham
Tottenham’s lack of attacking depth was exposed as they failed to breach the Leeds defence for the second time. Injuries have left De Zerbi short of quality attacking options, but he was able to call upon James Maddison from the bench as Spurs chased a late winner.
After three games on the bench, De Zerbi finally handed the England international his first appearance of the season. The entire Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupted when James Maddison entered the fray in the 85th minute, after more than nine months on the sidelines following an ACL rupture in a pre-season friendly vs. Newcastle United.
As there was a hefty chunk of stoppage time added after 90 minutes, the creative midfielder was on the pitch for 20 minutes. It was visible to the naked eye that he was lacking match fitness and physicality, as it took a while to get accustomed to the pace of the game. Having lost rhythm after conceding the penalty in the 74th-minute, it was Maddison who helped the hosts wrestle back the momentum from the opposition.
The experienced Englishman’s entry allowed Tottenham to regain some kind of control and order in the middle of the park. As expected, the playmaker took up smart positions in the opposition’s half, demanded the ball, slowed the game and created a couple of openings in the dying embers of the game. Maddison nearly won a penalty after being tripped by Lucas Nmecha deep into stoppage time. However, the referee gave no penalty, and the VAR allowed the decision to stand after deeming Nmecha to have touched the ball first before fouling Maddison in the box.
De Zerbi has been hesitant to rush Maddison back to action after such a big injury. The Italian tactician has instead looked to the midfielder to provide energy, leadership and experience from the bench. But with the Lilywhites chasing a goal, he decided to hand the Coventry-born star his first competitive minutes since the club’s Europa League first-leg victory over Bodo Glimt in May 2025.
Maddison’s return from a long-term knee injury does come as a major boost for Spurs as they continue their bid to escape relegation. With Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus ruled out for the season, Maddison could become the inspirational figure for his team in the final two games.