Spurs vs Coventry

Competition: Premier League

Date: 19th Oct 2026

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Kickoff: 20:00 (BST)

TV: Where to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City: TV Channel & Live Stream

Team News

Spurs boss De Zerbi delivered a double whammy in his Sunday press conference, revealing that Savio and Lucas Bergvall are ruled out due to new injuries, the former a muscle issue and the Swede a knee problem.

In addition, Pedro Porro will not return from his muscular problem just yet, but Dejan Kulusevski has been cleared to make the bench after more than 500 days out with a knee injury.

Mykhaylo Mudryk (ankle), Wilson Odobert (knee) and Xavi Simons (knee) are guaranteed absentees, as is Bentancur, whose headbutt on Luke Shaw and deserved sending-off has earned him a three-game suspension.

The Uruguayan was snubbed from the starting XI against Man Utd anyway, but De Zerbi should still be minded to make a midfield change, handing James Maddison his first league start of the season at the expense of Conor Gallagher.

On Coventry's end, Taiwo Awoniyi has completed a three-game ban of his own and is back in Lampard's ranks, but the striker is fighting an uphill battle to force his way in over either Cherif or Simms following the pair's goals against Newcastle.

Awoniyi's comeback is one of two Sky Blues boosts, as Kaine Kesler-Hayden has recovered from a hamstring problem, but Luke Woolfenden (knee), Aurele Amenda (calf), Josh Eccles (ankle) and Haji Wright (quad) are still unavailable.

A 4-2-3-1 setup paid dividends and then some for Lampard last time out, but it would not be a shock to see the Chelsea legend revert to a three-man central defence, re-introducing Mfuni over Ephron Mason-Clark.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Fernandes, Tonali; Kudus, Maddison, Marmoush; Solanke

Coventry City possible starting lineup:

Rushworth; Mfuni, Thomas, Pinnock; Van Ewijk, Grimes, Yirenkyi, Dasilva; Thomas-Asante, Rudoni; Cherif

Key lines from news conference

• Forward Savio will be ruled out "for some weeks" after suffering a "muscular problem" after the 1-1 draw at Manchester United.
• De Zerbi also confirmed Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall will miss Monday's game after feeling "pain" in his knee. The Spurs boss added: "The day after Manchester on Sunday, he came to the training ground to our medical staff and I think [he is out for] two weeks."
• Midfielder Dejan Kulusevski will make a return to the matchday squad after being sidelined since May 2025. The Spurs boss said the 26-year-old's return was "great news" and that Kulusevski "deserves to feel emotion on the pitch".
• Pedro Porro will continue to recover from a hamstring injury, and the Spain defender may return against Chelsea.
• On Richarlison playing with the under-21s, De Zerbi said: "It's not my problem anymore" and that he has "no problem with nobody".
• He added: "You have to ask Vinai [Venkatesham] (chief executive) and Johan [Lange] (sporting director). I know as a coach I have to accept, to support, to take responsibility, even if it is not my responsibility. If he wants to speak about me, he knows where he can find me. I don't want to speak anymore because my focus is on the Coventry game and the focus is for us to improve my team."
• On facing Coventry: "Coventry is a good team. They played a fantastic Championship last season. They deserved to win the league and to play in the Premier League this season. They played with energy and quality. We want to show ourselves to be good and win the games, especially if we deserve to win the games."
• Spurs' training camp trip to Marbella "worked well", and it allowed players to make "connections".
• He added: "I think we have to improve in the result, not in the quality of the performances, but you have to find all the ways to improve. Ways to be better, ways to become stronger as a group. The players spent time together, and they stayed together a lot."

Insights

• Only twice in club history have Spurs started a league season with a longer winless run
• Roberto De Zerbi has spent $424 million on new signings yet Spurs sit 19th after six matches
• Spurs have the Premier League's worst shot conversion at 3.6% despite fourth-most touches in the box
• Three goals from 6.6 xG — Tottenham have underperformed their expected output by more than half
• Coventry's last top-flight winning streak of three or more came under Gordon Strachan in 1998
• A win makes Coventry just the fourth team in top-flight history to lose four then win three
• Four of Coventry's six Premier League goals this season came in one match against Newcastle

Pundit Predictions

Alan Shearer

A huge one to call. I mean, if Tottenham don't win this one then I see them in a relegation battle again this season. I was impressed with them last weekend with their attitude, with how much pressure was on and how they performed. So, I'm going to go for a home win, and a much needed one for De Zerbi.

Spurs win

Chris Sutton

Tottenham will be fresh from their training camp in Marbella and we are about to find out if it worked.

If they don't beat Coventry and get their first win of the season, then they will probably have to go back out there next week as well.

Being serious, they do look like they are improving already and they played well against Manchester United last week.

Coventry are a dangerous counter-attacking team, and their pace in forward areas will cause problems, but this is going to be Tottenham's night.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

COYS