Pardew: Adebayor can haunt Arsenal

Alan Pardew is backing Emmanuel Adebayor to cause Arsenal problems ahead of Crystal Palace’s visit to The Emirates Stadium.

Palace manager Pardew said Adebayor could take inspiration from the difficulties West Ham striker Andy Carroll handed Arsenal’s back four last week in a 3-3 draw to do similar damage on Saturday.

Carroll used his height and power to devastating effect as he scored a hat-trick against a poor Arsenal defence, and Pardew said Adebayor is hungry for a similar outcome.

“It is so much more difficult to get pressure on those two centre-halves when they’re playing at home,” Pardew said.

“But we are going to try and will put pressure on their centre-halves every opportunity we have.

“I think it’s documented that their set-piece record isn’t great defensively and we are the best.”

Adebayor has only scored once since signing for Palace on a short-term deal as a free agent in January, but Pardew hailed the influence of the Togo striker on the squad.

“In and around the group Ade has been great. And he has experience of where we are going at the moment,” he said.

“We have got big games coming up, we’re going to Arsenal, Manchester United and the [FA Cup] semi-final so we can lean on his experience of those type of games.

“And he is going to get some time in those three games for sure.”

Pardew added: “It takes a while when you have been out that long to get up to speed and I think he is.

“He looks better in training, he is moving better so we might really bear the fruit of Adebayor in this final part of the season, I certainly hope so.

“I haven’t really spoken to him about Arsenal and this particular game. But of course he’ll fancy it.”