Adebayor finds love at the Lane at last
TOTTENHAM (4) vs LIVERPOOL (0)
TOTTENHAM striker Emmanuel Adebayor believes he’s already won the battle to win over the White Hart Lane faithful after his two goals decorated an emphatic win over nine-man Liverpool.
Luka Modric’s thunderbolt capped a terrific opening spell for the home side before Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel were both dismissed for second bookable offences either side of half time.
Jermaine Defoe doubled the advantage just five minutes after Skrtel’s hack at Gareth Bale and Adebayor put the gloss on the scoreline with two goals on his home debut to follow up last weekend’s strike at Wolves.
“I’m very happy, very delighted,” said Adebayor, who scored 10 times in 14 appearances against Spurs for north London rivals Arsenal. “It’s always important to score your first goal at home. I have done it already away.
“I know the fans all love me because that’s what they’re looking for, a player who can score goals. I’m very happy that everything is going well for me at this club.”
“They’ve always loved Adebayor,” quipped manager, Harry Redknapp, of his new loan recruit from Manchester City.
Adebayor’s goals capped a first home league win of the season but it was Modric who caught the eye with a display that vindicated his club’s decision to turn down a £40m bid from Chelsea last month.
Redknapp confirmed the Croatia playmaker is due to discuss a new contract with chairman Daniel Levy in the coming weeks, and the sixth minute effort which flew past Pepe Reina will have done his bargaining position when it comes to negotiating a pay rise no harm at all.
Spurs doubled their lead in the 68th minute when Defoe rolled Jose Enrique and beat Reina with a fierce drive at his near post and the Spaniard was at fault for the third, spilling Defoe’s shot, but Adebayor made a difficult finish look easy with the cutest of touches over the goalkeeper, before a less subtle blast in injury time settled matters.