Joao Palhinha has regained his throne from his Chelsea counterpart after a year away.
When Tottenham Hotspur signed Joao Palhinha from on-loan Bayern Munich, they knew exactly what they were getting—and the 30-year-old has lived up to every expectation.
During his two Premier League seasons with Fulham, Palhinha registered an incredible 300 tackles—an astonishing 109 more than second-placed Moises Caicedo.
Once again this season, Palhinha has outperformed most of his peers in tackles, interceptions, and duels, with one particular stat highlighting just how dominant he remains in this area.
Measured from 2022, Palhinha was comfortably leading the Premier League charts for tackles until his move from Fulham to Bayern Munich. During his year in Germany, Caicedo briefly overtook him—but remarkably, it has taken the Portuguese midfielder only a few months back in England to reclaim his title.
According to Tottenham’s official website, these are the players with the most tackles in the Premier League since Palhinha’s debut in the competition:
Joao Palhinha (Fulham and Spurs) – 349
Moises Caicedo (Brighton & Chelsea) – 339
Idrissa Gueye (Everton) – 325
Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) – 307
Joao Gomes (Wolves) – 300
What makes Palhinha’s feat even more impressive is that he has achieved these numbers despite playing one less season than most of the others on the list, apart from Joao Gomes. It underlines just how exceptional he is at winning possession.
However, despite his dominance off the ball, Palhinha has faced some criticism regarding his playmaking ability. Jamie Carragher recently pointed out that his lack of line-breaking passes could pose a challenge for Thomas Frank, suggesting it might explain why other top clubs didn’t pursue him.
Even so, Frank has continued to praise Palhinha’s influence and remains fully committed to keeping the midfielder as a key part of his starting lineup.
