Joao Palhinha admits Spurs feared defeat before Man City comeback

João Palhinha has admitted he feared Tottenham’s Premier League clash with Manchester City was already lost at half-time, before a dramatic second-half response salvaged a 2-2 draw in north London.

Spurs looked beaten after conceding twice before the interval, but a Dominic Solanke brace — capped by a stunning scorpion kick — dragged them back into the contest and extended their unbeaten run to four matches in all competitions.

Speaking candidly after the game, Palhinha revealed how difficult the situation felt in the dressing room at the break.

João Palhinha conceded that even within the squad, belief was being tested as City asserted control early on.

“I think just to keep working, even if the thoughts sometimes are probably the normal thoughts at half-time — that the game is lost,” Palhinha said.
“We are losing 2-0 to City and I think the reaction is sometimes the hardest thing in football, especially against a top team.”

He added that the scale of the opponent made the response even more impressive.

“Especially when you're losing 2-0. Like I said, we want to change the results, especially at home. It was a really good performance and we are really proud of that.”

What made Tottenham’s comeback particularly notable was the context. Spurs were without defensive trio Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Djed Spence, while captain Cristian Romero was forced off at half-time due to illness.

Despite those setbacks, Spurs rallied, with Solanke spearheading the revival to cancel out City’s first-half goals.

However, Palhinha was not entirely satisfied, pointing to lapses that allowed City to take control early on.

“We would be much happier if we won,” Palhinha admitted.
“But I think we deserved it, especially for the second half that we did. The two goals that we conceded were, in my opinion, too easy again.”

Still, the midfielder stressed that the collective mentality shift after the break was the key takeaway.

“What we need to take from this game is the reaction in the second half. We tried to win the game until the last minute. It was a tough game with a top team.”

Palhinha was particularly effusive when discussing Solanke’s second goal.

“We saw the clips back, it was an amazing goal. I hope he wins the Puskás Award for next season!”

Meanwhile, teammate Conor Gallagher reserved special praise for Xavi Simons, who delivered one of his strongest performances in a Spurs shirt.

“Brilliant player,” Gallagher said. “He works so hard and just wants to win. He has a lot of passion and quality, and he’s only going to get better.”

Tottenham now turn their focus to maintaining momentum as fixtures continue to pile up, with confidence drawn from both the result and the resilience shown against one of Europe’s strongest sides.