Former Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has attributed Super Eagles forward Tolu Arokodare’s missed penalty against Crystal Palace at the weekend to a dip in confidence, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Arokodare completed a high-profile summer switch to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the Nigerian striker has struggled to make a strong impact, managing just two league goals so far as Wolves remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. The pressure has continued to mount on the physically imposing forward as results have failed to improve.
He was presented with a golden opportunity to boost his tally and possibly hand Wolves a much-needed victory against a struggling Palace side. However, his spot-kick was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Dean Henderson, a moment that ultimately proved costly as Palace snatched a dramatic late winner. In the aftermath of the defeat, Arokodare was subjected to racist abuse on his social media platforms.
Speaking in his role as a Premier League pundit, Adebayor insisted the Nigerian forward appeared unsure in the decisive moment. According to the former striker, confidence plays a crucial role in one-on-one situations and penalty scenarios.
“When you’re in front of the defender, the only thing he can do is either foul you or allow you to finish,” Adebayor stated.
He further criticized the execution of the penalty, arguing that Arokodare’s body language suggested hesitation. “Tolu’s lack of confidence, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. That’s a big lack of confidence. You can’t take a penalty like that in this kind of game,” he added.
Adebayor’s comments underline the growing scrutiny on Arokodare as Wolves battle to turn their season around.