The former Arsenal striker returned to the Emirates for the first time in the white of arch-rivals Tottenham and found the net from the spot to put his side 2-0 up.
It was shaping up as the perfect afternoon for the Togolese star – who had also set up Louis Saha’s fourth-minute opener – until the most unexpected of Arsenal comebacks rocked Spurs.
The Gunners fired five past Harry Redknapp’s side to all but end their title hopes and condemn Adebayor to a defeat that he of all people would have hoped to avoid.
Wayne Bridge, still to start for Sunderland, played half an hour in the 4-0 humiliation at The Hawthorns, while Dedryck Boyata again went idle as Owen Coyle’s Bolton lost 3-0 at Chelsea.
In the Championship, there were debuts for Abdul Razak and Gai Assulin at Brighton’s Amex stadium. Razak started but came in for tough attention from Paul Jewell’s Ipswich and was eventually substituted in the final minute.
Assulin came off the bench to join the fray with 12 minutes left on the clock as the Seagulls secured a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Alex Nimely’s Coventry also won to move to within three points of safety. Though the Liberian-born striker spurned a number of chances, the Sky Blues downed Barnsley by a single goal.
John Guidetti missed Feyenoord’s vital trip to PSV through suspension, and how they could have done with his firepower as they sank to a 3-2 defeat that dented their bid for European qualification.
Though Guidetti was absent for his side, City’s Spanish-based duo Roque Santa Cruz and Vladimir Weiss were both in La Liga action, though neither could muster a win between them.
Santa Cruz’s Real Betis were held to a 1-1 draw with Getafe – the Paraguayan coming on with 30 minutes remaining – while Weiss’s Espanyol also slipped up at home.
The Slovakian’s side lost 2-1 at the hands of Levante and the winger had only a yellow card to show for his efforts come the final whistle.
