Emmanuel Adebyor’s squeaky Gunn time

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR is ready to put the wind up his old Arsenal pals as the race for the top four enters Squeaky Bum Time.

The striker will lead the Tottenham line at Stoke today as they aim to leapfrog the Gunners in the Premier League table.

Fifth-placed Spurs are one point and one place below their bitter North London rivals with just two games remaining.

With Arsenal not playing until Tuesday when they host Wigan, Adebayor and his team-mates can crank up the pressure with a win at the Britannia.

He said: “We sit one point behind Arsenal in fourth, so it is a good position for us.

“Now we’ve got two more games to go. Last year we finished in the top four so why not this year?

“We’ve got quality, we’ve got quite similar players, maybe even a better squad. We just have to keep our belief.

“If we win our game on Sunday against Stoke, we can go home and sit and watch Arsenal’s game and see what happens. We have to win.

“Can Arsenal drop points? Of course, why not?

“They have dropped points during the campaign and they still can.

“We’ve got two games. The more we talk about Arsenal and Chelsea, the more that will kill us. The most important thing is to focus on us and see what we can do.”

Adebayor, 29, had 3½ years at Arsenal before joining Manchester City for £25million in July 2009.

But, having spent the last two terms at the other end of Seven Sisters Road, he denies his bid to fire Spurs to the top four will be distracted by his previous employment.

Adebayor added: “I have affection for the club in the past but I’m not playing for the club any more. I am a professional and now my head, my concentration, my focus, my life belongs to Tottenham.

“I play for Tottenham now and I have to keep playing, keep working for Tottenham. If we can finish above Arsenal I will be very happy.

“Don’t get me wrong, I had affection for the club but that was in the past. Now I play for Tottenham and everything belongs to Tottenham.

“I don’t care what they do, what they can achieve, it’s not my problem any more.

“You have to do what is best for your team wherever you are.”

Adebayor netted 17 Premier League goals while on loan at Spurs from Manchester City last season.

But, since his £5m permanent switch to White Hart Lane in August, he has only managed four top-flight goals this season and has come in for stick from many Spurs fans.

Yet, despite the criticism, the Togo star — who survived a gun attack on his country’s team bus during the African Nations Cup in 2010 — continues to play with a smile.

He said: “My background was not easy.

“I saw shots on a team bus. I could have been gone. I could have been dead. I also got kidnapped when I was young so, for me, when I get criticised, it makes me stronger.

“It is nothing to touch me, it is nothing to go against me, I just keep my life and keep smiling.

“I think everyone knows what a good guy I am and the people may jump on me but you know you can never be loved by everyone.

“Most important for me is to be loved by my family, those people I know very well that know me.

“Those that don’t know you well will criticise you, which is normal.

“We have a chance to drive a good car, live in a good house and people are jealous of that but that is life and then I am happy about where I am today.

“I come from very far. I just keep doing my thing.”

Football – The Sun

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