‘Monster’ - Frank Has Given ‘Proper Player’ Who Dominated Man City New Life at Spurs

Summary Thomas Frank’s Spurs continued their incredible transformation in win over Manchester City.

Tottenham have looked much improved defensively than under Ange Postecoglou.

One player had a major role in helping shut out Erling Haaland and co.

It’s two wins from two in the Premier League for Tottenham, and two clean sheets too, as the Europa League winners continued their impressive adjustment to life under Thomas Frank against Manchester City. The former Brentford boss has done a remarkable job after replacing Ange Postecoglou. Across the board, Spurs look like a completely different outfit, and perhaps this is most noticeable by their improved defensive record.

Under Postecoglou last season, the team that finished all the way down in 17th had a goalkeeper in Guglielmo Vicario who made just four clean sheets in 24 games. After just two this term, he is already halfway to that total. That has largely come down to the set-up that Frank has implemented, which has made Spurs more secure defensively. But as always, you need the right players to make such a system work.

Luckily for the Danish coach, he seems to have that in abundance, particularly in the middle of the park. However, one man in the engine room has earned specific plaudits, and Frank is being lauded for his early transformation.

Fans Praise Joao Palhinha's Performance vs City

It was a changed midfield from the side who had beaten Burnley in the opener, and one of the new faces in the middle of the park was Joao Palhinha. The Portuguese international was making his first Premier League start since 2024, having last featured for Fulham before his move to Bayern Munich that summer.

After a difficult year in Germany, the 30-year-old returned to London, this time for Spurs, and made a 10-minute cameo on his home debut but was given a far more important task at the Etihad.

Of course, the biggest highlight of his performance was the goal to double Spurs' lead, just his eighth Premier League goal in his career. But his all-round showing was such that fans were quick to react online.

"Palhinha is a proper player," stated one while accompanying a snippet of the ball-winner's fantasytic performance as he showed his strength to muscle compatriot Bernardo Silva off the ball. A second added: "The disrespect Joao Palhinha received because he played in a Bayern team that didn’t fit his play style."

A third said: "70% of the Earth is covered by water. The rest is covered by Richy & Palhinha," while a fourth quipped: "Make Palhinha's loan permanent already, I've seen enough. Thank you, Bayern."

A fifth shared similar thoughts by posting: "Joao Palhinha has been a top signing. Make it permanent ASAP," while a sixth stated: "Palhinha is a monster man this guy sweeps up everything. How was he allowed to go to Spurs so easily?"

Palhinha's Game by Numbers

While the goal may have been Palhinha's most important contribution of the game, his overall performance in keeping City at bay was nothing short of complete. The former Fulham man completed 21 passes of his 26 attempts, many of them allowing Spurs to reset or spring a counter-attack with their rapid front three of Brennan Johnson, Mohamed Kudus and Richarlison.

While he did lose possession on nine occasions, he certainly made up for it by the amount he won it back, as he came out on top in six of his 10 ground duels and both of his aerial duels too. Add to that his two clearances, one block and four all-important tackles, and Palhinha was sweeping up any danger before the hosts could really get the ball into their attacking powers.

As one fan pointed out, Palhinha's ill-fated move to Bayern wasn't down to a lack of quality. He had shown in English football exactly what level he was capable of playing at, but Vincent Kompany's system often left him vulnerable and forced him to concentrate more on areas he wasn’t as strong in.

The way that Thomas Frank had his Tottenham side set up against City allowed for his composed yet destructive strengths to be on display, as they so often were at Fulham. Frequently under Marco Silva, Palhinha was the defensive glue that made the Cottagers so hard to break down while also bridging the gap so that they could cause problems further up the pitch.

Had Spurs been wearing their home strip today, it could’ve been easy to think you were watching an old highlights package from his time at Craven Cottage. Instead, it was a reminder of what he can do when used properly, and especially in games where Spurs may not have as much possession, he could be an incredible asset for Thomas Frank moving forward.

All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - accurate as of 23/08/2025.

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