Five-star Gunners romp past 10-man Spurs

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker (center) rises above the Tottenham Hotspur defense to score during their English Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium in London yesterday. - Reuters

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TOTTENHAM Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor scored but was then sent off as his former club Arsenal stormed back from behind to win 5-2 in yesterday's north London derby in the English Premier League at the Emirates Stadium.

The Togolese forward tapped in a 10th-minute opener after Wojciech Szczesny saved from Jermain Defoe but was sent off eight minutes later for an uncontrolled lunge at Santi Cazorla.

Per Mertesacker's 24th-minute header drew Arsenal level and quick-fire goals from Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud put the host 3-1 up at half-time.

Cazorla converted Podolski's fine cross on the hour to increase Arsenal's lead, before Gareth Bale drove home a low shot to reduce the arrears in the 71st minute.

Arsenal had the final say though, Theo Walcott converting from substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's pass in injury time to produce a repeat of the scoreline from last season's equivalent fixture in February.

It was Arsenal's first win in four matches in all competitions and took it up to sixth place in the table, with Spurs two points further back in eighth after a third successive league defeat.

Defending champion Manchester City can assume top spot later if it wins at home to Aston Villa, with leader Manchester United playing at Norwich City in the evening kick-off.

Third-placed Chelsea visits manager Roberto Di Matteo's former club, West Bromwich Albion, while Everton will bid to keep hold of fourth place at third-bottom Reading.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United said it was "dismayed and angry" after the Senegalese football federation blocked striker Papiss Cisse from playing in the club's league game with Swansea City yesterday.

Cisse did not play in Senegal's friendly with Niger last Wednesday due to injury and the Senegalese federation subsequently contacted world governing body FIFA to prevent him for turning out for his club.

Cisse's club and international colleague Demba Ba also missed the 1-1 draw in Niger through injury, but he was named in Newcastle's starting line-up to face Swansea.

"Newcastle United is dismayed and angry at the position adopted by the Senegalese federation, and supported by FIFA, which means that Papiss Cisse is unable to play any part in today's Premier League fixture against Swansea City," read a statement published on the Newcastle website yesterday.

"The club was not prepared to allow Papiss to travel to Niger as this would have been detrimental to his clinical condition."

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