Palhinha scores as Spurs beat Man City: "I was more proud of the team" [video] | OneFootball

João Palinha marked his first Premier League start for Tottenham Hotspur with a goal in their impressive 2-0 victory at Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

Palhinha scored the second at the Etihad Stadium, reacting quickest to a mix-up in the City defence to double Spurs’ lead on the stroke of half time. The ensuing victory gave Tottenham their second win from two league matches, as they start the season under new manager Thomas Frank.

Spurs opened the scoring ten minutes before the break thanks to Brenan Johnson, but Palhinha’s second in first-half stoppage time was a crucial blow inflicted on City. Rúben Dias started for City in defence, while Bernardo Silva was introduced on 54 minutes and Matheus Nunes remained an unused substitute by the home side.

“I’m really happy, this result is amazing,” Palhinha said after the match. “Especially for what a challenge today was against a top team, but I think what we need to take from today’s game is the way the team fought. Not just the starters, but the players who came from the bench.

“The mentality was there and when that’s the case it’s different. We’re closer to winning this type of game if we have the right mentality and I think we all did.

“I think it was a completely deserved victory for us and now we can enjoy it today; but then think about the next one because we have a lot of games.”

Palhinha was widely praised for his performance on what was a full debut, with his ball-winning and competitive style on full display. He was asked by a member of the Tottenham in-house media about a moment during which he celebrated a tackle made, while reflecting on getting his first goal in such a huge occasion.

“For me I always say a tackle can be as important as a goal. I remember [my] tackle but I also remember a tackle by Micky [van de Venn] on a transition where we were chasing and those types of actions make the difference at the end of the game. This is why we try to push each other. When we are like that we’re much closer to winning games.

“It was a special [to score] moment for me, of course. I’ve returned to the Premier League and to score a goal is always special, really important. But what I need to take from this game is the mentality of the team, the way I saw my teammates running back, helping each other and this is what makes me more proud from this game to be honest.”

Tottenham have one more match before the international break, which sees them host Bournemouth in the capital next weekend seeking to maintain their 100% start to the new Premier League campaign