Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has come under fire for his recent performances, with former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood providing a harsh assessment of the 27-year-old’s form

Following Tottenham’s 1-0 loss in the North London derby last week, Sherwood expressed concern that Maddison was playing too conservatively, particularly in midfield, where his risk-averse style had hampered his ability to generate scoring chances.

Sherwood, speaking on Premier League Productions, stated that while Maddison has displayed flashes of brilliance, his penchant to make safer passes has limited his impact in the final third.

The former Tottenham manager believes Maddison needs more help from his teammates to regain confidence and play a more decisive part in Tottenham’s attack.

He said:

“You don’t see dull games with Tottenham anymore, but they must start winning. You need the clinical edge. I like James Maddison, but he might need some aid in there. He is the only one with a little of guile. I’d want to see him take up the ball behind the midfield in tight spots. “He has a lot of the ball, but he always plays it safe.”

Maddison had a good start to the Premier League season, with two assists in Tottenham’s opening two games. However, his form has decreased in recent matches, coinciding with Tottenham’s straight league defeats.

Despite his current dip, Maddison’s ingenuity is still critical to Tottenham’s success, and Sherwood feels that with the correct backing, the midfielder can return to being a key role.

Maddison had an immediate impression when he joined Spurs in 2023, winning the Premier League Player of the Month title for August after scoring three goals and assisting five times in his first nine games, but his form dipped after suffering an injury against Chelsea. He has failed to regain his peak form since then.

As Tottenham attempt to regain momentum, Maddison’s ability to break down defences will be crucial, and the club hopes he can restore the form that made him such an important player early in the season.

We can confirm the starting lineup and replacements for this evening’s Carabao Cup third-round match at Coventry City (kick-off 8pm UK)

Ange Postecoglou has made eight changes to the team that began against Arsenal over the weekend, with only Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Dominic Solanke remaining for the cup match at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

This implies that summer signings Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall will make their competitive debuts, while Fraser Forster will play for the first time in this competition in over a year on August 29, 2023, at Fulham.

Ben Davies heads the side in his first start of the season, with club captain Heung-Min Son among the replacements, along with Sergio Reguilon and Mikey Moore, who are making their competitive debuts this season.

Starting lineup: Forster; Gray, Dragusin, Davies (c), Udogie; Bentancur, Sarr, Bergvall; Odobert, Solanke, and Werner.

Subs: Vicario, Pedro Porro, Spence, Reguilon, Maddison, Kulusevski, Johnson, Son, and Moore.

Arsenal explained why their winning goal against Tottenham should not have stood

Arsenal hero believes Spurs defender Cristian Romero was fouled in the build-up to his decisive second-half header

Arsenal great Paul Merson has confessed that his former team’s winning goal against Tottenham probably should not have stood.

The title-chasing Gunners gained bragging rights in the north London derby once more on Sunday afternoon, despite missing a number of key players due to injury, recording their third consecutive away league victory over their fiercest rivals for the first time since 1988.

A typically tense and feisty match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was eventually settled with just over 25 minutes remaining when Arsenal defender Gabriel lost marker Cristian Romero before rising to emphatically head Bukayo Saka’s corner beyond Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from close range, sparking wild celebrations on the pitch and in the away end.

However, there were concerns about whether Gabriel fouled Romero with a shove in the back before scoring what proved to be the winning goal in N17, with Gunners veteran Merson admitting that he expected a free kick and criticising the Argentine’s defence.

“I’d be disappointed if I didn’t get a foul,” he admitted on Sky Sports. “I would be disappointed.” He is in the incorrect position, and his defense is completely flawed.

“He’s a centre-half, an international; even I know – and I don’t even play defense – that you have to be side-on. You must be able to view both the ball and your player.

“To begin with, you must be a hand length away, and he is standing with him. I think… I would expect a foul. I’d expect a foul.