Emmanuel Adebayor, who transferred from Arsenal to Manchester City over the summer for $41.6 million, let his emotions get the better of him a few times during a clash with his former team. First, Adebayor lashed out at his former teammate Robin Van Persie after a rash challenge from the Dutchman. Adebayor's studs slashed Van Persie above the eye.
"I am sad and deeply disappointed by my former teammate Emmanuel Adebayor's mindless and malicious stamp on me during today's match," Van Persie said Saturday night on the official Arsenal Web site. "We are both professional footballers, and I know that the game is physical … I, too, have made hard and sometimes mistimed challenges, but never with the intention of hurting an opponent. He set out to hurt me today."
Still in the game after the incident, which referees missed, Adebayor scored a header to give City a 3-1 advantage. Adebayor then ran the length of the field in the opposite direction to celebrate in front of seething Arsenal supporters, who rained debris onto the field. After the game, Adebayor apologized for his disrespectful celebration, but not, according to Van Persie, for his viscious stomp. "People who know me, who love me, know that sometimes the emotion is a big part of being a human being," he said. "For maybe two or three seconds after scoring the goal, sometimes you just can't control yourself."