Southampton 2-3 Tottenham: Adebayor double hands Sherwood first win

Emmanuel Adebayor returned from his Tottenham exile to net twice in a 3-2 victory over Southampton at St Mary's Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as Tim Sherwood picked up his first win in charge of the north Londoners.
A horrible week for Tottenham ends on a high as Tim Sherwood enjoys a victory on his Premier League debut in charge of Spurs, but this day belonged to Emmanuel Adebayor.


The Togo international produced a performance of such industry, quality and determination that every manager who has ever clashed with him will surely be tearing at their hair. His first goal was a thing of beauty, his second the kind of clinical, opportunistic strike the north Londoners have so badly missed this season.

Roberto Soldado's struggles in front of goal continue and Erik Lamela looks no less a square peg in a round hole than he did on his debut, but Sherwood will focus on the positives. His risky, defensive midfielder-less formation worked in spite of several startlingly vulnerable spells, and Tottenham are back on the up.

FoR Southampton, defeated at home in spite of the brilliance of captain Adam Lallana, these are tough times. A season which started so well has lost momentum as a result of a tough run of fixtures and a growing injury list. Perhaps the biggest test of Mauricio Pochettino's burgeoning reputation is how he attempts to turn the tide.