The entire 2025/26 Premier League season is on the line this Sunday for Tottenham Hotspur against Everton, as Spurs still need a point to ensure survival in the Premier League after they once again, lost 2-1 to rivals Chelsea on Tuesday night. With West Ham United, the only team they can beat out for safety this season, facing a Leeds United side with nothing to play for on Sunday, Spurs have to place fate entirely in their hands.
Although the players will deny it, Tottenham did seem to take a big step back against Chelsea, showing just how far they are behind the other Big Six Premier League sides in 2026. New manager Roberto De Zerbi has changed a lot at the club and given their core hope of survival, but he can't make the passes or finish the chances for the players themselves.
Tottenham fans feel that the club need veteran attacking midfielder and key leader James Madidson on the pitch as a starter in order to have their best chance of survival. Maddison is operating at a technical level well beyond that of his peers, and he is by far the best attacking player in the squad.
Tottenham need James Maddison
But per Roberto De Zerbi at the press conference before Tottenham Hotspur battle Everton on Matchday 38 of the 2025/26 Premier League season, it is still unclear just how many minutes Maddison can play.
De Zerbi told reporters, via Alasdair Gold of Football.London, "Maddison is available. It's always tough to decide before the game how many minutes he can play. Of course he's a different player, a top player for us, but we have to analyse the physical condition with this Italian weather."
Tottenham fans will not feel reassured that James Maddison can play more than about 30 minutes after hearing more comments from De Zerbi like this. De Zerbi has been pretty noncommital on Maddison's role, and whlie the player himself may be angling for more, Spurs are not going to risk anything long term with a player coming off an ACL tear who is vital to Spurs hopes in 2026/27 as well.
But Tottenham do need him. They need Maddison's creativity, bravery, intelligence, consistency, control, and eye for the spectacular. He is by far their best player right now, even in just the five or 25 minutes he has played in the last two matches against Leeds United and Chelsea.
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