Maddison received a deserved standing ovation when he was replaced by Conor Gallagher after 69 minutes, but Kulusevski’s reception was arguably even more rapturous as he finally returned to the pitch after such a long battle to regain fitness.
It was Maddison, however, who received the biggest plaudits after being the driving force behind the victory that proved so elusive – her positive approach in playing with a smile on her face provides a refreshment in itself after such a depressing run of results.
He couldn’t wait to get the ball back, constantly probing and prodding, before inevitably tiring after the break.
“I spoke to the manager about it at the weekend, feeling it was the right time for me to come back into the starting XI after a bit of a broken start to the season,” Maddison told Sky Sports.
“I just wanted to play well and show my abilities, show what the team has been missing in the last 18 months. The coach asked me to play and wanted to take advantage of watching from the sidelines. I hope I did that, and a goal is always nice.”
If his goal was to show what Spurs were missing, it was mission accomplished.
And as well as Maddison and Kulusevski, Marmoush will gain confidence from his strike, another superb curling effort which gave Rushworth no chance.
De Zerbi will know it’s just the beginning, with a tough trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening (5.30pm BST).
He welcomed the return of Maddison and Kulusevski, saying: “They are different players, different talents, different personalities. With them in the dressing room, there is a different atmosphere.”
What changes the atmosphere in the locker room and beyond are victories.
Now De Zerbi and Spurs can finally build on three points, and the return to action of Maddison and Kulusevski will give the Italians hope they can accelerate an improvement after their recent misery.
Gn sports
