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Birm'ham deservedly hold Arsenal

Birm'ham deservedly hold Arsenal


Birmham deservedly hold Arsenal

Arsenal fought hard to take on ten men Birmingham and James McFadden came with an injury time penalty to give the Blues the deserved point at 2-2.

It is not the McFadden penalty that made the match horrific for Arsenal, Eduardo da Silva was injured just after three minutes into the first-half.

The Croatian international striker was down with a broken leg after a tackle by Martin Taylor who was sent off by referee Mike Dean. The treatment went on for seven minutes and Eduardo was stretchered off and rushed to hospital.

Arsenal failed focus on the game early on and gave away the ball way too cheaply. Matheu Flamini fouled James McFadden on the 27th minute. The Scottish striker neatly finished the resulting free-kick finding the top right corner from 20 yards away.

That was surely a double-blow for the Gunners and it looked like they would need a real team-talk by Wenger in the half-time.

The second half started with a new Arsenal who looked more like a team and wanting to attack and find a goal. Fabregas was the man to have a go on the goal first and it made Taylor to produce a fine save.

Theo Walcott found his name in the score sheet after tucking in a loose ball just inside the 6 yard box. Though the goal standed it was clearly a foul by Adebayor on the Blues keeper Taylor.

The Gunners enjoyed more possession and they were more likely to score the second goal and take the lead soon. Walcott struck again in the 55th minute, this time a beautiful run to make space and a great shot to the right side of the keeper. The English striker was brilliant in converting that chance and justified Wenger's decision to play him in first eleven.

Fabregas had hit the post with a powerful right foot drive a minute before.

Birmingham did not have many chances in the second half though McFadden was trying to make some runs. Kapo was injured and Zarate replaced him in the 58th minute.

Taylor was brilliant on goal and he saved some shots from Flamini, Fabregas and Adebayor which surely looked like going in.

Late into the closing time, Arsenal was seen using the 'time-wasting' tactics. In the 90th minute, Gael Clichy's complacency showed him gifting a ball in the penalty box to Stuart Parnaby. He could only trip Parnaby to win the ball back.

Mike Dean pointed to the spot and it was penalty against Arsenal. McFadden blasted in a penalty to the right hand side of the goal and it was all square.

It was an irony that Parnaby would win the penalty for the Blues as he came on for Mike Forssell in the 15th minute to make up for the sent off.

Birmingham clearly deserved to take a point from the match as they did and they showed Arsenal that they are not any push overs here.

Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Kelly, Martin Taylor, Ridgewell, Murphy, Larsson (Nafti 66), Johnson, Muamba, Kapo (Zarate 59), McFadden, Forssell (Parnaby 15).

Subs Not Used: Doyle, Jerome.

Sent Off: Martin Taylor (3).

Goals: McFadden 28, 90 pen.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy, Walcott (Denilson 89), Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb (Silva 89), Eduardo (Bendtner 8), Adebayor.

Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Justin Hoyte.

Booked: Sagna, Gallas.

Goals: Walcott 50, 55.