Forward thinking not an issue for Villas-Boas

QPR 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0

As far as the Portuguese is concerned, Emmanuel Adebayor’s stint at the African Cup of Nations will not derail Spurs’ efforts to consolidate their place in the top four, nor their emerging title challenge. It will only take an injury or red card, however, to make the Villas-Boas prediction unduly optimistic.

Without Adebayor — who flew out to join up with Togo immediately after the game, and will not be back until the start of February, at the earliest — Spurs will be reliant on Jermain Defoe and, to a lesser extent, Clint Dempsey to provide their forward options at a decisive stage of the season.