Xavi Simons was not the only player to star in Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-0 win against West Ham United on Saturday.
Simons received praise from Thomas Frank after the game following an impressive debut.
It was the attacking midfielder who set up Tottenham‘s first goal, finding Pape Matar Sarr from a corner.
However, fellow summer signings Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus were also on the pitch and did not do bad jobs either.
- READ MORE: Tottenham player ratings vs West Ham as Xavi Simons gets first assist and youngster runs riot
Joao Palhinha went under the radar in West Ham win
The signing of Palhinha at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was perhaps not as exciting as the arrivals of Simons and Kudus.
After all, Palhinha was a 30-year-old loan signing from Bayern Munich, while Simons and Kudus were talented £50m attackers.
Yet Palhinha’s impact has been felt, with the midfielder scoring in Spurs’ 2-0 win against Manchester City before putting in an excellent performance on Saturday.
Palhinha was terrific in Tottenham’s victory over West Ham, putting up some really impressive numbers. For example, the Portuguese won eight out of 10 ground duels.
| Joao Palhinha’s numbers vs West Ham | Total |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Touches | 79 |
| Accurate passes | 58/64 (91%) |
| Long balls (accurate) | 3 (2) |
| Ground duels (won) | 10 (8) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 5 (3) |
| Possession lost | 8 |
| Tackles | 6 |
The above should not be too much of a surprise. While things have not worked out for him at Bayern, Palhinha was a success during his first stint in the Premier League with Fulham.
“He doesn’t just put pressure on them, he goes back to win the ball and does the tackle,” Palhinha’s former teammate Tom Cairney was once quoted as saying by TNT Sports.
“It’s amazing to watch sometimes. I think the fans have taken to him. I think he’s been a breath of fresh air in the Premier League.”
Over the summer, 155 signings were made in the Premier League. The Athletic ranked Palhinha at No.1!
Tottenham should already be thinking about signing Joao Palhinha permanently
Palhinha’s loan deal reportedly includes a £27m option to buy. The Portugal international is not getting any younger, but that still sounds like a bargain.
Ultimately, Spurs should already be thinking about triggering it. If not, to get a player of his experience and quality on loan can still be seen as great business.
It is early days, but Palhinha may be the biggest bargain from the summer transfer window.
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