Adebayor versus ARSENAL!

The other weekend EPL game which I would rate as 8/10 for end to end, non-stop action and sheer excitement was between home team Manchester City ( some now cheekily call it Dubai City) and Arsenal.
MC and Chelsea are the only 2 unbeaten teams at this stage in the competition. Arsenal came visiting after losing out to the Red Devils the previous weekend. So, they simply cannot aford to lose 2 in a row...that would be castastrophic and would seriously affect their ambition for silverware.
This match drew much attention and spotlight because Adebayor will be playing for the 1st time against his old club...Arsenal. He was sold to MC, a move that initially made him very unhappy as he put all the blame for the Gunners' fans hating him squarely on Arsene Wenger the coach. So, in a way this was like Gary Cooper's shootout in the classic old western movie" High Noon" except that it was between Adebayor versus Arsenal as a whole and Van Persie in particular.

Coming with such a highly charged atmosphere, both sides went at each other's throats right from kick off. Action was end to end stuff. There was flow and there was ebb.
No quarter expected, no quarter given.
It took some luck and fate for the 1st goal to up the tempo of the game even more.
In the 20th minute, Defender Micah Richards headed powerfully of a corner which actually hit the upright...the ball rebounded out, hitting GK's Almunia's head and went back into goal.


How unlucky for Arsenal!
MC 1, Arsenal 0.
But the gunners pressed on for the equaliser which came in the 60th minute of the 2nd half when Van Persie slotted home to make it 1-1.
Both sides had great chances but it was Craig Bellamy, who played his best game to date for MC, who scored with a powerful drive ...2 -1 to MC.
Adebayor had several good attempts at goal but his efforts were saved or he was physically checked by his former teammates who seemed to go harder on him than on any other MC players. He and Van Persie got entangled a couple of times. A slow motion replay showed Adebayor stamping on the face of Van Persie...whether it was intentional or not, only Adebayor knows.
But his moment of revenge and glory was to come...in the 80th minute.
From a cross sent high and while surrounded by a sea of Arsenal defenders, he managed to outjump everyone and headed a "bullet" that bulged the net!
3-1 to MC. What he did next to celebrate this "special goal against his old club" will never be forgotten. He ran the whole length of the pitch to where the Arsenal fans were seated and in that posture as seen in the photo above taunted the visitors. Infuriated, the visiting fans began to throw all kinds of objects, including bottled water, towards him. An unlucky steward was knocked unconscious and police as well as security stewards rushed to contain the fury. Adebayor was given the yellow card for this act of madness ( Cantona's kungfu kick at a fan was more serious ). Latest reports suggested he may get a 4 match ban.
To add further insult to injury, Bellamy dribbled the ball from his own half and cut in for Shaun W Philips to score through the GK's legs.
MC 4, Arsenal 1.
In the 88th minute, Tomas Rosicky scored a consolation goal to make the final scoreline 4 -2.
So, "High Noon" was clearly won by Mark Hughes' gunslingers. Arsene Wenger and his Gunners
will now lick their wounds and can only hope to prepare well for the next chapter of the shootout...."Gunfight at the Emirate's Corral".
Unk Dicko for one, will not want to miss this hotly anticipated revenge mission.
Many questions come to mind.
Will the home fans prepare a "special" welcome for bad man Adebayor?

Photo credits: BBC sports and Daily Mirror