Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor has apologised for his sending-off in the North London derby yesterday.

Spurs lost 5-2 to Arsenal, having led through Adebayor before the 28-year-old was sent off for a tackle on Santi Cazorla.

The former Arsenal forward said he was sorry for letting the team down but maintains that his challenge was not malicious.

"I completely understand my sending-off changed the entire outcome of the game and I wholeheartedly apologise to my teammates, the manager and all the Tottenham fans," Adebayor said in The Sun.

"I must stress that my challenge was not malicious in any way. I was trying to win the ball and probably stretched my foot a bit too far in the heat of the moment.

"Nobody could have felt more devastated than me as I walked off the pitch."

The result meant that Arsenal moved above Spurs and into sixth in the Premier League table.