Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor claims the €27,200 fine he incurred for his controversial goal celebration against his old club Arsenal last month was "excessive".

The Togo international was handed a suspended two-match ban by the Football Association in addition to the fine after being found guilty of improper conduct for racing from one end of the pitch to the other to celebrate a goal for City in front of the travelling Gunners fans at Eastlands.

Despite escaping another ban after serving a three-match suspension for a stamp on Arsenal striker Robin van Persie in the same game, Adebayor still felt he had been harshly treated on the second charge.

Quoted in The People, he said: "They have punished me for celebrating a goal and I accept it but I think it is excessive.

"But now I have to forget it and just think about scoring goals without any problems."

He did admit he would think more carefully about his celebrations were he ever to score for City at Arsenal.

"If I play in the Emirates and score I will celebrate of course, but I will do it with my fans," he said.

City fought hard to keep Adebayor's punishment for the goal celebration to a minimum, citing the fact that Manchester United captain Gary Neville got away with a warning for a similar celebration in front of City fans during last month's derby at Old Trafford.

They also said the level of abuse directed towards Adebayor from the Arsenal fans should mitigate the punishment handed down from the FA, and the governing body accepted the abuse had been of "an extremely provocative nature".