Spurs’ Summer Steal? João Palhinha Brings Bite, Balance and Brilliance

As a new dawn arises in North London, Thomas Frank’s new Spurs have had a rather good makeover with some pretty good players joining the team, Mohammed Kudus, and Mathys Tel being two of the most notable incomings, but it is one loan player who has made an extremely good impression so far, and could well be the key to Spurs’ success this season.

One area in which Thomas Frank would have been looking to upgrade in his first season was the midfield, a clear weak spot in a team that needed some stability in the middle of the park. With Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur the two locked down midfielders in Thomas Franks’ new side, it is former Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha who has injected new life into a side which so desperately needed some intensity and ferociousness, and over his first two games for Spurs, he has shown why he is the diamond in the rough for their midfield. 

His first start for Frank came last week against Man City at the Etihad Stadium, and not only did he put his extremely advanced defensive skills on show, he etched his name onto the score sheet as well. Winning 8/12 duels, leading the team in tackles with 4, as well as having an 81% pass accuracy, and highlighting his exceptional talent sin the air winning all of his aerial duels, his box-to-box game was fully on show against one of the best teams in the league, and his importance to the team was highlighted more than ever.

Playing a full 90 minutes, scoring his first goal in a Spurs shirt, while being the cornerstone of the Spurs midfield, isn't a bad first impression for a loan player, and his immediate impact defensively and offensively has shown he is the perfect piece for them, and the perfect player they needed to lead and dictate the play through the middle of the park. The likes of Xavi Simons, Savinho, and Pedro Hincapie could all still be on their way to Tottenham, but what Joao Palhinha has already shown indicates he was the perfect addition for Frank, and his attributes alone has made their midfield 10x better already.