VALENCIA // Emmanuel Adebayor is delighted to be "back in business" and Arsenal look set to cash in following the return of their striking spearhead.
There is no doubt the absence of the Togo frontman, along with captain Cesc Fabregas, through injury has hampered the club this season.
While their hopes of winning the Premier League might have faded, the pair are now in harmonious unison once again to provide the Gunners with the quality needed to make them challengers, not the "super outsiders" as their manager Arsene Wenger claims, for the Champions League crown.
After a 25-yard thunderbolt from Marcos Senna had put Villarreal ahead in Tuesday's quarter-final first-leg encounter, Arsenal finished the game in Spain on level terms through a memorable equaliser.
A raking pass from Fabregas found Adebayor in the box and, with his back to goal, he chested the ball down before twisting to send an overhead kick into the net. A class strike from a class act.
"I may not have scored many better," admitted Adebayor, following his third goal in two games since his comeback after two months out with a hamstring injury.
"I am happy with the goal, but I will be even happier if we go through.
"I don't know if we can win the Champions League, but, for us, the most important thing is to play a game at a time.
"I am focused on doing what I enjoy doing, playing football, and helping this club achieve things."
Teammate Theo Walcott added: "It was probably one of the best goals I have seen in the Champions League; a special goal from a special player. Hopefully that can spur us on into the next round."
A refreshed and resurgent Adebayor is something Wenger desperately needs after losing another two players through injury.
William Gallas could be out for the season with knee ligament damage while the goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia, also misses next Wednesday's return leg at the Emirates Stadium with an ankle knock.
But Adebayor says Johan Djourou and Lukasz Fabianski are able deputies.
"We just have to trust them," he added.
"We know how good they are so they can do the job."
After grinding out such a solid result against a Villarreal side that has not lost at El Madrigal in the Champions League, Wenger remained confident.
"This team have shown the whole season they are mentally very strong and when they have backs to the wall, these young players always find an answer," said the Frenchman.
Villarreal still pose a threat, but know they did not take full advantage of their dominance, blunted by the visitors' resilience.
Senna feels this team are better than the Villarreal side who lost their semi-final meeting against Arsenal in 2006 and is convinced they are on course for the last four.
In their last-16 tie they went to Panathinaikos level at 1-1 and overcame the Greeks.
"Right now, Arsenal have the advantage because they scored an away goal, but if we can win there, we will be in the semi- finals," he said. "I believe we can do it."
akhan@thenational.ae
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
*November 15 to November 24
*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com
*TV: Ten Sports
*Streaming: Jio Live
*2017 winners: Kerala Kings
*2018 winners: Northern Warriors
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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What%20is%20cystic%20fibrosis%3F
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Profile Periscope Media
Founder: Smeetha Ghosh, one co-founder (anonymous)
Launch year: 2020
Employees: four – plans to add another 10 by July 2021
Financing stage: $250,000 bootstrap funding, approaching VC firms this year
Investors: Co-founders
Results
5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud
6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013