Emmanuel Adebayor is hogging the headlines after the game against his former club Arsenal but for all the wrong reasons, the 4-2 scoreline in favour of City is but a minor detail it would seem.
The spotlight was always going to be on the big Togolese striker in his first match against his old club after a £25 million transfer to Manchester City.
Tensions were running high and the Arsenal manager will be privately seething after Adebayor’s reckless display went more-or-less unpunished.
First there was the very late, very intentional tackle on Cesc Fabregas, early in the match. Referee Mark Clattenburg thought he’d try and defuse the situation with a word in his ear, it seemed to work, for five minutes at least but for the rest of the afternoon, Adebayor let his emotions control him.
While he had another poor, mistimed tackle late in the game on Sagna, the real talking point came in the 70th minute.
As Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie slid in to pass the ball off the deck in the middle of the park, Adebayor appeared to try and block the ball. Play continued for around 30 seconds as the Dutchman lay motionless at the scene of the crime.
As television replays revealed why RVP hadn’t gotten to his feet, the commentators in their neutral capacity, speculated that only Adebayor “knew what his intention was”, but it was clear for all to see.
With his leg already extended for the block, he shifted his weight and put in an extra extension to rake his book at Van Persie’s head and he managed to catch him beside the eye.
Adebayor can count himself lucky that it wasn’t seen by the officials as it was a red card offense and RVP has already stated he feels lucky to still have 20/20 vision with the contact being so close to his eye.
Van Persie left the field for treatment and didn’t retaliate, nor did his teammates, instead he released a statement post match condemning Adebayor’s action.
It was only when Adebayor scored and ran the length of the field to celebrate in front of the Arsenal supporters that he finally received a booking.
Mark Hughes defended his striker saying “he wanted to share the moment with the fans in the corner with whom he has a special affinity. It is the same area that the Arsenal fans were in so there is the potential for people to see it as the wrong thing to do.”
Rubbish, he had no interest in the Man City fans as he was looking directly at the Arsenal block the entire time.
For all the talent the 6’3 Togolese striker possesses; a deft touch for such a big man, pace and power and a fantastic shot, it’s the mental side of football where he continues to have his problems.
Firstly blaming Arsenal fans for his lack of form last term is a good indicator of his weak personality. The fans have nothing to do with a player not having a good season, maybe, and that is a big maybe, one bad match, but Adebayor looked a shadow of his former self for the entirety of the last campaign.
Then there was his ongoing squabble with Niklas Bendtner which boiled over in a cup match against Tottenham in 2008. Adebayor lost his cool and Bendtner had to receive treatment to a cut on his forehead and let’s not forget, they were not only teammates but strike partners.
No-one said they had to be friends but they are professional footballers, personal differences aside they needed to perform together.
Adebayor took a shot at Bendtner again this week, obviously upset that the Dane was afforded more luxury being bought through Arsenal’s academy, only he doesn’t seem to realise that he should move on and focus on his game rather than his former teammate’s academy careers.
Van Persie’s statement will undoubtedly trouble the Togolese hitman, that was his intention after all, knowing how frail minded he is it was a clever piece of mental warfare, only Adebayor may have a bigger problem if the officials reviewing the match decide to retrospectively punish him for his actions.
Mark Hughes obviously knows how to unleash the mean streak in a player, its time though that he got Adebayor to grow up and concentrate on using his immense talent rather than constantly bickering, everyone is tired of it.
Simmo
Guest
He copped a lot of stick because he's the worst example of an avaricious, disloyal footballer in a era where footballers with those qualities are ten a penny. It's all his own doing and on Saturday he chose to make it ten times worse. What gets me now, on Tuesday, is the realisation that City were already going into the Manchester derby without Robinho and Tevez. So he went out and got himself suspended? How are Utd going to drop points now?
FIsher Price
Guest
"Rooney isn't a diver" - hilarious! Watch these and then try to case there was "contact". http://www.offthepost.info/2009/09/top-five-wayne-i-would-never-dive-rooney-dives/ And are you suggesting that Roy Keane is some above-the-game, ubermensch-type figure who can dish out retribution as he sees fit? He "copped abuse" is not excuse for such violence, on-field or otherwise. You clearly adore the man, but he was viewed as a thug by many in the game.
AndyRoo
Guest
The striking is a different matter but as to the celebration, I admit I might be a bit naive becasue I have never attended an English football Match and have only grown up in non segregated family friendly Australia (I am sure I would feel different if any of my family ahd been hurt at a match) but I feel his celebration should go unpunished. He copped a lot of stick and then he gave a little back.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Here is another look at it, instinctive or intentional? I think there are far more people condemning his action than saying it might have just been an accidental occurence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c4A5UxzrCg Not to mention this brilliant picture capturing the essence of Adebayor. I think the facial expressions of Fabregas say it all: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1213252/Emmanuel-Adebayor-raked-Van-Persie-stamped-Fabregas-started-mini-riot--FA-throw-book-him.html
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Instinctive? Are you insane? What person in their right mind instinctively goes out of their way, extending the leg that little bit extra to make contact with someone's head? That's not an instinct and I'll call your attention to his other ridiculous fouls on Fabregas and Sagna, that wasn't three instinctive pieces of play, that was a former teammate letting off steam. Adebayor's hack was every bit as cold-blooded as Keane's, while not defending the Irishman I will say that he would be the last player in the EPL over the last 2 decades I would have provoked, Haaland could have seen it coming.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Speaking of people needing an english course... "Adebayor didn’t set out to stamp van Persie" - I think you're missing an "on" there
cab711
Guest
Like I said, please get your eyes checked before you comment again. Where do you get the two legged tackled from???? Van Persie slides in with one leg and only when he rolls over the other legs comes in. I also fail to see the funny side of intentionally inciting fans which ends up with stadium staff getting hurt.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
You need to take some night classes in English. For the nth time: I am perfectly aware that Adebayor's action was deliberate. The point is that it was a hot-blooded, instinctive reaction to a brutal two-footed tackle from side-on. He did not go into the challenge with the intention of stamping on van Persie - he simply reacted badly to van Persie trying to break his legs.
cab711
Guest
Yes completely unaware. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2635729/Adebayor-Im-not-scared.html
cab711
Guest
Rubbish, thats absolute bullocks. Get your eyes checked they do bulk billing now. There is a picture of Adebayor clearly looking down before his boot contacts Van Persies face so he knew full well what he was doing. Also I couldnt give a damn if Van Persie is ten times worse. Your trying to change the subject. Adebayor was inciting Arsenal fans and he intentionally harmed another player. END OF STORY! He has to be penalised and poor form on Hughes for not discplining his player.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
Read my post properly. I didn't say it wasn't intentional - I said it was instinctive. There is a big difference between lashing out instantaneously and setting out to nobble someone. An almost identical situation happened in rugby a few years ago when Doddie Weir - as nice a chap as one could meet - reacted to being tackled hard from behind by lashing out with his foot at the tackler's face. It was just a hot-blooded human reaction. The ref sent him off - rightly (as Adebayor should have been sent off) - but no one claimed that Weir acted malevolently. It was just a rush of blood to the head. We should all be cognisant of the moral distinction between hot-blooded and cold-blooded actions. This is not even remotely in the same league as Roy Keane waiting months and years to end Alf Inge Haaland's career.
Colin N
Guest
He dives, but it's not what I call 'persistent.' Persistent means doing it with regularity. I've only ever seen him dive, at most, 10 times in his career.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Roy Keane tried to break Halland's leg because of the earful of abuse he issued Keane after he went down with a serious knee injury. To abuse Roy Keane really is playing with fire so he got what was coming to him. Fergie went ballistic at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for this incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBrFlDpQudY Cantona was banned for nine months or so by Man utd for his fly kick so to say Fergie isn't a disciplinarian is a bit weak. Rooney isn't a diver, he goes down but within the rules ie. when there is contact, Ronaldo on the other hand was, Fergie was never going to come out and publicly lambast the best player in his team and the world though was he?
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Rubbish, you're the first person to say it wasn't intentional which means either you didn't see it or are blind. He clearly put in the extra extension to make contact. As for the Arsenal fans. They supported him enough, there was no huge backlash when he flirted with Milan but he is obviously just in it for the cash. At the end of the day Adebayor is a weak little man with a very frail mind, my 15 year old cousin is in better control of his emotions than him.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
Adebayor didn't set out to stamp van Persie. It was an instantaneous reaction to a pretty tough tackle. I don't think he even knew it was van Persie - he just lashed out instinctively with his foot the way you raise an arm to defend yourself when someone threatens you. It was a simple human reaction to having a chap slide through you from behind. It's not in the same league as those occasions when a player actively sets out to "do" an opponent. The celebration was silly but funny. Those witless goons attempting to storm the field because a chap slid on his knees in front of them really are sensitive pettles.
FIsher Price
Guest
Only Henry hadn't just left Spurs, no?
Simmo
Guest
I was going to get on my high horse about the goal celebration until the interwebs threw up this photo. http://www.freewebs.com/allthecoloursfade/henryspurs.JPG Still, he deserves the rubber glove treatment from the FA for raking RVP's face with his studs. Adebayor makes Drogba look like a gentleman.
FIsher Price
Guest
Erm, you mean the same fans who supported him for the best part of 3 years? He's got a short memory. Ade flirted with Milan, got a pay rise (Wenger's become a soft touch) and merely counted his 80K per week for 12 months. Once it had become obvious that his form had dropped off significantly and that he was putting in even less effort that usual, sensible Arsenal fans weren't amused and stopped singing Ade's name; which hurt his feelings, poor dear. However, large sections of the support continued to sing his silly song right up until the end of 08/09. This didn't stop Ade blaming the fans for his poor form shortly before the end of the season. In the days ahead of his first clash against his old club he was in the papers again - in the papers, having a go at the Arsenal fans. Ade is a talented but frustratingly inconsistent and lazy player. He's also a rampant egotist. He's clearly got issues, as exemplified by his over-heated performance, which should see him handed a spell on the sidelines. I wouldn't bet on it though. Foul play is encouraged by the FA.
FIsher Price
Guest
Nice. Are you saying it's alright to attempt to stomp on an opponent's hand? I can't speak for other fans but, yes, I'd be condemning an Arsenal player who made such a challenge (or Adebaywhore's one on Fabregas early on in the game).
FIsher Price
Guest
Google 'Rooney's Top Dives' or words to that effect and you'll get the picture.