Emmanuel Adebayor Doubts Arsenal Credentials

With most Arsenal fans still in shock after the barely believable events of Wednesday night’s 4-4 draw with Tottenham, striker Emmanuel Adebayor yesterday went on record to say what all the home fans must have been thinking.

"To be champions in this way? You can never be a champion," the Togolese forward told The Independent. "There is a lot of disappointment because we did everything to get the three points and we ended with one.

“It was one of the most difficult games in my life because I cannot understand that after 90 minutes we were leading 4-2—I don't know how we finished with a draw.“

Perhaps of most concern to Arsenal fans, however, is the 24-year-old’s admission that perhaps a lack of concentration amongst the home team allowed their North London rivals to deprive them of two vital points.

“It's very easy to give up because we were 4-2 up and maybe thinking the game was finished. With five, six or seven minutes to go, maybe in our head the game was over."

The question now is; was Wednesday’s late collapse a one-off mistake—a product of a high-octane local derby where normal Premiership rules do not apply—or was it symptomatic of a more permanent problem?

Do Arsenal simply lack the killer instinct to sustain a competitive title challenge?

Whatever the case, with the Gunners now six points behind leaders Liverpool (who, contrary to the Gunners, have consistently won from seemingly unlikely positions), they cannot afford any more slip ups.

Adebayor says the team are more than aware of the task that faces them, starting with Stoke City at the Britannia tomorrow:

"We don't have the right to drop points any more," he said. "At the end of the game we always drop points and not against the top four—against Spurs who are bottom."

The title is not yet out of Arsenal’s reach, but if they throw away any more two goal leads, surely it soon will be.