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GOAL-DEN MOMENT: Tottenham's Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain (right) celebrate a goal in the win against Liverpool

TWO STRIKERS that endured a nondescript last twelve months look set to reignite their reputations. Tottenham goal poachers Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor, after the demolition of Liverpool on Sunday, have already shown that their individual and collective play will stand the north London outfit in good stead this term.

The 2011/12 season may still be in its infancy, but the signs are there that the pair will be a handful for the Premier League’s defenders.

For Adebayor, a player who endured racist chants during his spell at Real Madrid from Spurs fans, it hasn’t taken him long to win over the Tottenham faithful despite his football CV including the name of Arsenal.

Adebayor - no stranger to controversy and criticism – is a proven top flight goal scorer. In 2007/2008 he hit 24 goals in 36 games for Arsenal, only for his career to take a downward spiral and eventually causing frustrated Gunners fans to get on his back which prompted a £25m move to Manchester City in July 2009.

His big money move to Manchester was to last only briefly, as a revived and ambitious City had plans of their own which quite clearly didn’t involve Adebayor. His fall out at City was followed by an incident that brought some perspective to football.

Adebayor was caught up in the horrific shooting at the African Cup of Nations in January where rebels opened fire on the Togo team bus in Cabinda, Angola, killing the driver and causing injury to several passengers, including two players. Understandably, Adebayor was to suffer mental anguish after the incident.

Nonetheless, with loan spells at Real Madrid and currently at Spurs, he is finding his feet again and his alliance with livewire Defoe, who is fit and hungry again, should prove to be music to the ears of the Spurs faithful.

Both have an eye for goal which can only boost Spurs’ quest for silverware and that coveted top four berth which has Champions League football at the end of it.

Adebayor and Defoe gave a hint of things to come as they trounced Liverpool 4-0 at White Hart Lane. Two quality strikes by the African against the Merseysiders meant that his Spurs tally was now three goals in just two games.

Defoe notched a goal too and looked to be back to his vibrant best; a reversal of fortune for a player who only bagged four goals last season in comparison to the 18 goals he scored in the 2009/10 campaign.

In Defoe’s defence the arrival of Rafael van der Vaart last summer didn’t help his cause, as Harry Redknaap opted to go for Peter Crouch and the Dutchman up top. But injury to Van der Vaart, the departure of Crouch and the acquisition of Adebayor couldn’t have come at a better time for Defoe.

On the first Sunday of October, Spurs play near neighbours Arsenal who have endured a torrid start to the season.
Both Adebayor and Defoe will be looking to add to their woes.