Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor
Personal information
Full name	Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Arsenal
Number	25
	‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12:00, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

Emmanuel Adebayor (born February 26, 1984 in Lomé) is a Togoles football player of Nigerian descent who plays for Arsenal.

Club career

Adebayor started his professional career at a training camp in Lomé. He made it to the U-15 level and was spotted by French club FC Metz. After a trial, Adebayor joined the club in 1999 and played at the U-17 level for two years before joining the first team. In his first season, he played nine games and scored twice. In the 2002–03 season, Adebayor scored seventeen goals in 35 games. AS Monaco signed him to a contract in 2003, and he scored seven goals in seventeen appearances, helping them reach the Champions League final with two goals in ten games.

Arsenal

2005–06 season

On January 13, 2006, Adebayor signed for Arsenal for an undisclosed fee reported to be £3m.^[2] He was given the nickname "Baby Kanu" due to his resemblance to former Arsenal star Nwankwo Kanu, who Adebayor had idolized as a youth.^[3]

On February 4, 2006, Adebayor made his Arsenal debut in a Premiership match at Birmingham City and scored after 21 minutes, with Arsenal winning 2–0. At the end of his first season for the Gunners he had scored four goals in ten matches. However, Adebayor was cup-tied for Arsenal's 2005–06 Champions League run and missed the final against Barcelona, as he had appeared for Monaco in the qualifying rounds of the competition earlier that season.

2006–07 season

Adebayor scored Arsenal's winning goal against Manchester United to give Arsenal a 1–0 win at Old Trafford, their first league win of the 2006–07 season. Earlier in the game, Adebayor was brought down in the six-yard box to earn Arsenal a penalty, which was taken by Gilberto Silva and saved. On November 8 2006, Adebayor scored the only goal of the match to send Arsenal into the quarter finals of the League Cup against Everton

He was sent off in Arsenal's 2–1 Carling Cup final loss to Chelsea. He was shown the red card after a fracas towards the end of the match involving both Chelsea and Arsenal players. It was alleged that he had thrown a punch at Frank Lampard. The FA subsequently gave him an additional one-match ban and a fine of £7500 for failing to leave the field of play immediately, as well as a three-match ban for the red card.

2007–08 season

Arsenal fans celebrate Adebayor by chanting "Ade-bay-or, Ade-bay-or". It is sung to the tune of Westminster Chimes. On 19 January 2008, after scoring twice against Fulham, the fans sang, "Adebayor, Adebayor, give him the ball, and he will score".^[4]

Adebayor in 2008

After scoring a penalty during the 3–1 win over Portsmouth, his two goals against Tottenham helped Arsenal win 3–1 in the first North London derby of the season. Adebayor then scored his first hat-trick for Arsenal in a 5–0 home win against Derby County on September 22, 2007; this was the second-ever hat-trick scored at the Emirates. He was involved in a controversial incident on January 22, 2008, in which he clashed with teammate Nicklas Bendtner seven minutes from the end of a 5–1 League Cup semi-final defeat to Tottenham. Bendtner appeared to cut his nose in the clash, for which Adebayor apologised the following day. ^[5] Three days later he scored the hundredth goal at Emirates during the side's 3–0 FA Cup victory over Newcastle United F.C.^[6] Starting on Tuesday March 4, 2008 against AC Milan. Adebayor went on a goalscoring streak in the Champions League. Despite having never scored before in the competition, he scored a goal in the 2nd leg against AC Milan at the San Siro. On April 13, 2008 in a Premier League game against Manchester United Adebayor scored Arsenals only goal, a game which they lost 2–1 at Old Trafford. On April 19, 2008 Adebayor scored yet again in a 2-0 win over Reading F.C.. He scored his second hat-trick for Arsenal after coming off the bench at half time in the 6–2 win against Derby County on April 28, 2008, making him the only player in the Premiership's history to score a hat-trick against the same side in the same season, although Arsenal finished the season empty handed, he ended the season joint 2nd with Fernando Torres in the race for the golden boot. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year.

Adebayor's second goal against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane won Match of the Day's Goal of the Season competition for the 2007-2008 season.

International career

Adebayor helped Togo qualify for the 2006 World Cup by scoring eleven goals in the qualifiers, more than any other player in the African qualifiers. He has been nominated for African Footballer of the Year.

He was called up for the 2006 African Cup of Nations, where he was a substitute for the country's first match, following a row with the coach. Adebayor first vowed to leave the tournament and return home, although he later resumed training with the side.^[7] Togo were eliminated after losing all three matches. He was dropped by Togo following the row over bonus payments.^[8] However, Adebayor was brought back into the Togo team in September 2007.

Club career statistics

(Correct as of 5 May 2008)^[9]

Club	Season	League			Cup			Europe			Total
Club	Season	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
AS Monaco	2003–04	31	8	-	-	-	-	9	0	-	40	8	-
	2004–05	35	9	-	-	-	-	10	2	-	45	11	-
	2005–06	13	1	-	-	-	-	2	0	-	15	1	-
Total											100	20	-
Arsenal	2005–06	13	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	4	4
	2006–07	29	8	4	7	4	0	8	0	0	44	12	4
	2007–08	35	24	4	9	3	0	10	3	1	48	30	5
Total		77	36	16	10	7	0	18	3	1	105	46	14

Style of play

Adebayor is a versatile forward who plays both as a _target man with his back to goal and as a pacy forward who makes runs behind defences. He also often drops deep to link up play with the midfield and bring team mates into play. He uses his physical presence to win aerial balls and has scored 26% of his Arsenal goals with his head. Examples of goals scored from his _target-man role include his final goal against Derby County on September 22 2007 where he controlled a long pass from Denilson with a chest trap to score. He is also known for his pace and has scored many goals where he has beaten the offside trap to score. An example of which is his final goal against Derby County on April 27 2008 with which he completed his second hat trick of the season against Derby County.

He used to be known for his erratic finishing; however, this has somewhat changed in the 2007–08 season, where he has shown tremendous improvement in his technical and shooting abilities, most notably scoring a stunning volley against Tottenham Hotspur on September 15 2007 in a 3-1 victory which was chosen by Match Of The Day as its Goal of the Season.