It is typical of Emmanuel Adebayor’s generosity of spirit that he should credit Thierry Henry with inspiring his remarkable run of 12 goals in nine matches, though in reality the Barcelona striker’s biggest contribution may have been leaving Arsenal last summer. The Togo player has grown from an oversized boy into a menacing man in his friend’s absence, to such an extent that he now rivals Didier Drogba as the most effective striker in the Barclays Premier League. And at the age of 23 he has the potential to surpass the 29-year-old Chelsea forward.

Adebayor’s close relationship with Henry has been apparent since their memorable dance on the Emirates Stadium touchline to celebrate the opening goal in a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last season, but as a player he has more in common with Drogba.

Both are towering figures whose powerful physiques are almost impossible to contain when the mood takes them, players who have honed initially heavy touches to become devastating finishers. Henry’s heart-to-hearts may have helped to boost Adebayor’s confidence in this crucial area, though it also suits the needy Frenchman to feel wanted at Arsenal as he struggles to make an impact at his new club.

“Thierry is like my brother,” Adebayor said after scoring the second goal in Monday’s 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers that sent Arsenal five points clear at the top of the table. “He has just sent me another message to congratulate me. He talks to me a lot and during the summer we spoke a lot. He told me he believed in myself, he believed in my qualities. I want to thank him as he helped me out a lot.

“He still helps me. He sends me messages saying ‘I know you have a lot of qualities, you have scored 15 or 16, but you can score more if you put more concentration in the games’. That is what I am trying to do now and I’m very happy to listen. I don’t know if he speaks to the other players, but the most important thing is that we are in touch. I like to talk to him.” Arsène Wenger probably feels a greater debt of gratitude to Mamady Sidibe, of Stoke City, as the Mali striker’s second goal in a 2-0 African Cup of Nations victory against Togo last year sealed qualification at the expense of Adebayor’s side; the Arsenal man’s tally for the season would be little more than half his present total of 22. The former Metz striker had scored only ten times — six against Derby County and Tottenham Hotspur — before beginning his streak of scoring in nine successive matches in the 4-1 win away to Everton on December 29.

It is no coincidence that Arsenal have thrived while Chelsea are running run out of steam in the absence of Drogba, while Sir Alex Ferguson may be lamenting his failure to bring a powerful central striker to Manchester United. Adebayor’s form is all the more startling as it is only two years since he clashed with Stephen Keshi, the Togo coach, on the team bus at the previous tournament in Egypt as he was finalising his move to Arsenal. Once an unreliable hothead, Adebayor is now spearheading Arsenal’s challenge for the title, his increased maturity providing a further testament to the man-management skills of Wenger.

“We’re in a very good position, but the title is not finished as teams can always come from behind,” Adebayor said. “We’re like a family, the team is very young so the belief in the dressing-room is big. The most important thing is to keep our heads, keep our feet on the ground and come the end of the season we hope to win the title. It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be very tough.”

Adebayor’s run has put him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the Golden Boot, though he would be happy to cede that particular award to a player he believes belongs on a computer game. “If I win the Golden Boot, I have not really won anything,” he said. “It is all about winning the title. That is the most important thing. I love to watch Ronaldo and watching him play is something else — it is like watching a player on PlayStation. He has a lot of quality and I show him a lot of respect for what he has done.”