FULHAM HEADING FOR CHAMPIONSHIP AS RED HOT ADEBAYOR CLIMBS TO CONQUER
Fulham’s need for taller defenders was underlined at Craven Cottage as Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor netted twice in the first-half by out-jumping the home side’s central defenders. Those two goals put paid to Roy Hodgson’s plans of eeking out a draw – Fulham lined-up in a 4-5-1 formation – and Tomas Rosicky completed the scoring in the second-half.
Before kick-off all 6”5’ of Norwegian international centre-back Brede Hangeland was unveiled to great cheers from the home supporters. But the former FC Copenhagen giant could only watch from the stands as after just 19 minutes the Togo international rose above Dejan Stefanovic to nod home from Arsenal’s first meaningful chance.
Rosicky – back in the Gunners’ side after recovering from a viral infection – played a reverse ball to over-lapping full-back Gael Clichy on the left-hand touch line. The pacy Frenchman, with bags of time, hit a first-time cross which found the corn-rows of Adebayor, whose neat header in to the corner left Antti Niemi with zero chance.
Lighting struck twice for Fulham as six minutes before the interval the Togo forward used his head to good effect again, though this time around his supply was from the right-hand side. Alexander Hleb’s driven ball pin-pointed Adebayor, who again jumped higher than his opponents. Captain Aaron Hughes was the guilty party for goal number two.
Fulham failed to muster a single shot on target as Hodgson’s tactics looked feckless and limp. American Clint Dempsey huffed and puffed on his own up front for his team; but he was never going to blow the cottage down.
The biggest cheers of the afternoon occurred when Jimmy Bullard entered the fray at half-time, but despite his creative touch, the result was in the bag for the visiting east-Londoners by the time he was introduced.
Never, in any of the 26 league games that Adebayor has scored in, have Arsenal lost a match. With the striker in such red hot form, manger Arsene Wenger must be delighted that Togo failed to qualify for the African Nations Cup which begins in Ghana tomorrow.
Rosicky scored his side’s third and final goal in a flaccid second-half, sliding in after a superb dribble and pull-back by Brazilian-born Croat Eduardo, who shone again. Arsenal remain on the coat-tails of Manchester United – equal on points but behind on goal difference, after late goals from Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo secured their win at Reading.
Fulham remain in 19th place in the Premier League and Hodgson must hope he can bring more players to the club, and soon. Marlon King’s £5m switch from Watford hit a snag late on Friady when Fulham’s medics raised doubts over the striker’s right knee – the same knee that had cause the Jamaican international to miss six months of last season’s Premier League campaign.
Hodgson is looking secure the services of Kansas City striker Eddie Johnson (pending work permit), Werder Bremen’s holding midfielder Leon Anderson, and Guglielmo Stendardo – a central defender from Lazio. Will they be enough to save them from the drop? Only time, and 15 games, will tell.
Fulham’s need for taller defenders was underlined at Craven Cottage as Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor netted twice in the first-half by out-jumping the home side’s central defenders. Those two goals put paid to Roy Hodgson’s plans of eeking out a draw – Fulham lined-up in a 4-5-1 formation – and Tomas Rosicky completed the scoring in the second-half.
Before kick-off all 6”5’ of Norwegian international centre-back Brede Hangeland was unveiled to great cheers from the home supporters. But the former FC Copenhagen giant could only watch from the stands as after just 19 minutes the Togo international rose above Dejan Stefanovic to nod home from Arsenal’s first meaningful chance.
Rosicky – back in the Gunners’ side after recovering from a viral infection – played a reverse ball to over-lapping full-back Gael Clichy on the left-hand touch line. The pacy Frenchman, with bags of time, hit a first-time cross which found the corn-rows of Adebayor, whose neat header in to the corner left Antti Niemi with zero chance.
Lighting struck twice for Fulham as six minutes before the interval the Togo forward used his head to good effect again, though this time around his supply was from the right-hand side. Alexander Hleb’s driven ball pin-pointed Adebayor, who again jumped higher than his opponents. Captain Aaron Hughes was the guilty party for goal number two.
Fulham failed to muster a single shot on target as Hodgson’s tactics looked feckless and limp. American Clint Dempsey huffed and puffed on his own up front for his team; but he was never going to blow the cottage down.
The biggest cheers of the afternoon occurred when Jimmy Bullard entered the fray at half-time, but despite his creative touch, the result was in the bag for the visiting east-Londoners by the time he was introduced.
Never, in any of the 26 league games that Adebayor has scored in, have Arsenal lost a match. With the striker in such red hot form, manger Arsene Wenger must be delighted that Togo failed to qualify for the African Nations Cup which begins in Ghana tomorrow.
Rosicky scored his side’s third and final goal in a flaccid second-half, sliding in after a superb dribble and pull-back by Brazilian-born Croat Eduardo, who shone again. Arsenal remain on the coat-tails of Manchester United – equal on points but behind on goal difference, after late goals from Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo secured their win at Reading.
Fulham remain in 19th place in the Premier League and Hodgson must hope he can bring more players to the club, and soon. Marlon King’s £5m switch from Watford hit a snag late on Friady when Fulham’s medics raised doubts over the striker’s right knee – the same knee that had cause the Jamaican international to miss six months of last season’s Premier League campaign.
Hodgson is looking secure the services of Kansas City striker Eddie Johnson (pending work permit), Werder Bremen’s holding midfielder Leon Anderson, and Guglielmo Stendardo – a central defender from Lazio. Will they be enough to save them from the drop? Only time, and 15 games, will tell.
Labels: Arsenal, Championship, Emmanuel Adebayor, Fulham, Premier League
