Gareth Bale is back, ladies and gentlemen.More than seven years after scoring his last goal for Tottenham Hotspur with an absolute screamer against Sunderland, the prodigal son has once again found the net in north London.Truth be told, it's been a difficult return to the Premier League for Bale after finally turning his back on a lucrative Real Madrid spell that ground to a halt during the Zinedine Zidane era.

Tottenham vs Brighton

There were real concerns about whether Bale would be able to rekindle his finest form back at Tottenham after months of injury, inconsistent game time and days on the golf course.

Besides, his second debut didn't exactly go swimmingly as Spurs surrendered a 3-0 goal lead in the final 10 minutes as he missed a fine opportunity to put the game to bed.

But put all those negative moments to the side for a moment because Bale has made a stunning impact just when Jose Mourinho needed him most against Brighton & Hove Albion.

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Bale's brilliant header

Subbed on with the scores locked at 1-1 with 20 minutes to play, Bale wasted absolutely no time at all to score his first goal back in the Premier League, finding the net less than three minutes later.

It was a move made in Madrid, too, with his former Los Blancos teammate Sergio Reguilón firing an inviting cross into the area that Bale met effortlessly to defy Robert Sanchez at his near post.

You can check out the superb header that saw him find the net down below:

Bale is back

Arguably the greatest Spurs player of the Premier League era is back in business and it could open the floodgates for an incredible season back in England.

Besides, it proved enough for Tottenham to secure their first three points at home this season after frustrating draws with Newcastle and West Ham as well as an opening day defeat to Everton.

As a result, Mourinho's move into second place with 14 points from six games, just two points behind reigning champions Liverpool in a clear statement of their own title intentions.

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It remains to be seen whether Spurs can stay the course to genuinely continue Mourinho's knack for remarkable second seasons, but one thing's for sure: Bale's form will be crucial if they do.