Roberto De Zerbi has played his cards right ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night.

James Maddison appears to have shifted into gear just in time for Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Chelsea. The 29-year-old midfielder made an excellent impression on Monday night when the Lilywhites enjoyed a 3-1 win over Coventry City, marking his first start of the Premier League season with a great goal and a performance to match.

Maddison broke the deadlock inside the opening quarter of an hour, finding the top left-hand far corner from just outside the box. When Mohammed Kudus cut inside from the right wing and rolled the ball into his path, he opened up his hips and looped it over Carl Rushworth.

After almost 18 months on the sidelines, having ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the summer of 2025, Maddison leapt out of the gates and showed Roberto De Zerbi exactly what Spurs have been missing.

The England international was brimming with confidence for the remainder of the clash, always looking to get on the ball and make something happen. By the time he was brought off midway through the second half, Maddison had completed more passes into the final third and line-breaking passes than any other outfield player on his team, excluding those in the backline.

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Although he raised eyebrows, exceeding the expectations of many in what was just his first competitive start in 536 days, it should not have come as a surprise that Tottenham suddenly won a game as soon as the Englishman resumed playmaking responsibilities in the middle of the park.

Interestingly, since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, when he left Leicester City in a deal worth £40m, Spurs have won 52.1 per cent of the games Maddison has played (48), winning 25, losing 17, and drawing six. In his absence, the Lilywhites have played 73 matches and won just 17, as displayed in the graphic below.

If De Zerbi wants to defeat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night, ending Tottenham's six-game losing streak against their rivals, the maestro should keep his place in the middle of the park. In fact, Maddison should be the first name on the teamsheet, and for weeks to come.

Speaking to reporters on Monday night, after helping Spurs bank their first three points of the campaign, Maddison opened up about his preparations for the match. He told Sky Sports: "I hoped [to start].

"I spoke to the gaffer about it this week, and feeling like the right moment for me to go back into the starting 11 after a stop-start, start to the season. I just wanted to show my quality and show what the team's missed in the last 18 months since my last start.

"The gaffer asked me to play and said he wanted to enjoy watching me from the side, so hopefully I did that, and getting the goal is always nice."

On his goal: "They're just a bit blurry; they're the ones you dream of. Recovering from the ACL last year, those dark days. They're the ones you dream of, those goals. Always the light at the [end of the] tunnel for you.

"And for Dejan Kulusevski, I felt proud of him because I knew exactly how he felt. Those moments and those goals they make it all worth it."

And on his position, playing in the pockets, Maddison added: "That's where I operate best, in the pockets on the outside of the lines. I was popping up on the left, right and centrally, and that's where I'm at my best.

"Between the lines and being able to pick up the pockets of space, and that's where the goal came from."