Fulham: Joao Palhinha proves his worth as Bayern Munich plot fresh bid

Joao Palhinha showed at the Amex Stadium why it is so crucial Fulham keep hold of him.

Marco Silva’s side looked beaten at half-time, with Brighton 1-0 up and dominating.

But Palhinha, the heartbeat of the team, led a second-half fightback in the rain and earned them a point when he won the ball back and arrowed home a thunderous equaliser.

The midfielder looked set to leave in the summer when he agreed a move to Bayern Munich, only for Fulham to pull the plug on a deal after they failed to line up a replacement.

Bayern are expected to renew their interest in Palhinha in January but Fulham must do everything to keep him.

It will be virtually impossible to replace Palhinha, who is arguably one of the best players in Europe in his position.

Without him scoring and galvanising those around him, Fulham would have lost yesterday.

His relentless pressing and crunching tackles mean he has taken over from Aleksandar Mitrovic as their talisman.

Palhinha has won more tackles than any player in the Premier League this season, and the same was true last season.

Yesterday, he made 10 tackles (more than any player in a Premier League game this season). He was lucky to escape a red card for an elbow on Pascal Gross but was outstanding.

“He leads by example”, Silva said. “Clearly, he’s not the most vocal guy — he’s improving his English.

“But his attitude, commitment, the way he lifts others around him — it is not easy to find in football. In moments when we lose the ball, his reaction is impressive.”