Joao Palhinha praised by Tottenham boss Thomas Frank after victory at Man City

Thomas Frank praised summer signing Joao Palhinha after Tottenham put the disappointment of missing out on Eberechi Eze behind them with an eye-catching 2-0 victory at Manchester City.

The former Brentford boss oversaw a 3-0 win against promoted Burnley in their Premier League opener and his excellent start to life in the hotseat continue at the Etihad Stadium.

Brennan Johnson converted Richarlison’s cross in a first half that ended with Palhinha, who recently joined on loan from Bayern Munich, rifling home as Tottenham capitalised on a James Trafford error with what proved to be the final goal.

Joao Palhinha every time he makes a block or tackle... pic.twitter.com/IXrQAxUrII

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 23, 2025

It was an impressive response to seeing their move for Crystal Palace star Eze hijacked by arch-rivals Arsenal, but boss Frank was only interested in talking about those that had joined.

“I think it’s fair to say that we’ve got a few questions about the transfer market yesterday – a lot about why not, and what if, and all that,” the Spurs boss said.

“What is 100 per cent sure is that we brought two top players into the club, (Mohammed) Kudus and Palhinha. Both of them performed very well, which I’m very pleased with.

“And Palhinha, wow. You know, sometimes players need confidence, and they need to be on top.

“I actually don’t think he’s fully fit yet where I want him to be, but very pleased with his performance and he’s definitely helping the team.”

Asked if he had used the Eze situation as inspiration, Frank said: “I think that’s very, very easy – never ever use one word about anything that is not in our club.”

Spurs are sure to be active in the final week of the window as they look to move on