Man City 4 Arsenal 2

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR was on the money as City smashed Arsenal at Eastlands.

The Togo ace sealed the tie by smashing home the hosts' third.

City had cashed in on a priceless piece of luck for the opener — with Micah Richards' effort bouncing off Manuel Almunia's HEAD and into the goal.

The Gunners clawed back through Robin Van Persie and Tomas Rosicky. But Craig Bellamy, Adebayor and Shaun Wright-Phillips popped up to humiliate the travelling Gunners.

In the pre-game warm-up, Adebayor had been public enemy No 1 with Arsenal.

The hated Togo striker was IGNORED by his old team-mates and viciously jeered by the away crowd.

And, just minutes into the tie, the £25million hitman got even further up the Gunners' noses — flooring Cesc Fabregas with a studs-up lunge.

Another big money man found himself in hot water shortly after when Joleon Lescott was booked for poleaxing Denilson.

But on 20 minutes City got their fluky breakthrough.

Bacary Sagna chopped down Bellamy 20 yards from goal. Gareth Barry floated in the free-kick, Richards thundered a header against the post — and saw it cannon in off Almunia.

The Spaniard dusted himself off to come and claim a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross after the restart.

Shay Given was called into action seconds later — claiming a Nicklas Bendtner centre in a carbon-copy attack.

Barry lined up another free-kick, and when his dangerous cross was only half-cleared to Bellamy, the Welsh ace's volley flicked wide off William Gallas.

Moments before the break, City launched a lightening counter attack after Robin van Persie's corner went begging.

And the Gunners needed Gael Clichy to step in and rob Stephen Ireland, who loitered too long with the ball in the visitors' box.

Just seven minutes after the interval, Arsene Wenger hit the panic button.

Wenger hauled off Brazilian Denilson and brought on Rosicky as the Arsenal boss turned to his Plan B.

And the Frenchman's tinkering paid off when his men struck the leveller.

The Gunners' goal had been under threat until Bellamy saw his his shot snuffed out. And a speedy breakaway set up Dutch ace Van Persie, who tucked his shot away from the edge of the box.

Wenger was livid when Adebayor seemed to boot Robin Van Persie in the face. He got off scot free — and things got worse for Wenger when City stormed back into the lead.

Bellamy swivelled in the Arsenal box before smashing past Almunia.

Adebayor then made it three. And the ex-Gunner could find himself hauled in to Soho Square after he tore down the whole length of the pitch to taunt the away end.

Wright-Phillips then fired home before Rosicky grabbed his late consolation.

Man City: Given, Richards, Toure, Lescott, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Ireland (Petrov 73), Barry, De Jong, Adebayor, Bellamy. Subs Not Used: Taylor, Onuoha, Zabaleta, Sylvinho, Vidal, Weiss. Booked: Lescott, Adebayor, De Jong. Goals: Almunia 20 og, Bellamy 74, Adebayor 80, Wright-Phillips 84.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna (Eboue 77), Vermaelen, Gallas, Clichy, Bendtner, Song Billong (Eduardo 77), Fabregas, Denilson (Rosicky 52), Diaby, van Persie. Subs Not Used: Mannone, Ramsey, Silvestre, Gibbs. Booked: Sagna, Song Billong. Goals: van Persie 62, Rosicky 88.

Att: 47,339

Ref: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).