Tottenham supporters had something to celebrate on Monday night as James Maddison made an emotional return to action after spending nine months on the sidelines.
Tottenham Hotspur will certainly have hoped to get more from their clash against Leeds United on Monday night.
However, it was not to be for the Lilywhites, who were held to a 1-1 draw despite taking the lead early in the first half.
A brilliant Mathys Tel curler was cancelled out after a moment of madness from the winger saw him give away a penalty, with his attempted overhead-kick clearance catching Ethan Ampadu in the head. Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted the resulting spot-kick.
Tottenham fans react to James Maddison’s return against Leeds United
But it was not all gloom for Tottenham on the night, as they welcomed James Maddison back to action following the ACL injury he suffered in pre-season.
The England international had gone more than a year without playing a competitive game and managed 20 minutes after coming on in the 85th minute, with 15 minutes of additional time played.
His return was marked with a standing ovation from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium crowd, while supporters also took to social media to share their delight.
One fan said about his return: “Welcome back Madders. Shame the referee was a cheat!” Another supporter added: “Only bright bit to tonight, well done Madders.”
The welcome messages continued, with another fan writing: “Welcome back @Madders10! We have missed you!!!” One more commented: “What a buzz when Madders came on, delighted for him. COYS.”
Another supporter said: “Love him, immediately made a difference, should have been awarded a pen. Going to have to fight.” A final fan stated: “His cameo showed what we’ve been missing. He can pass it and invites oppo to foul him.”
Spurs handed a major boost with James Maddison’s return
Maddison was certainly impressive on the night, and there is no denying the impact he had after coming on.
The Englishman went straight into the number 10 role and was constantly showing for the ball, demanding possession in every area of the pitch.
He also came close to giving Spurs a lifeline after appearing to be brought down in the box by Noah Okafor, but Tottenham’s appeals for a penalty were waved away.
In the brief moment he was on the pitch, Maddison managed a 92% pass accuracy, had two touches in the opposition box and played two passes into the final third.
| Stat | Total |
|---|---|
| Accurate passes | 11/12 (92%) |
| Touches | 22 |
| Touches in opposition box | 2 |
| Passes into final third | 2 |
- READ MORE: Tottenham 1-1 Leeds match report: Mathys Tel goes from hero to zero as James Maddison returns