Birmingham 1 - 1 Arsenal; Title race tension gets to Wenger

• Poignant

  26 Mar 10, 15:04

  BIRMINGHAM VS ARSENAL

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  • Saturday, 11pm.
    

   

  Arsenal will be looking to keep their Premier League title dream alive with a win against Birmingham City at St Andrew's on Saturday afternoon.
  
  However, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger and his players have bad memories of seeing their aspirations derail at the Midlands outfit in the past.
  
  Ahead of their game with the Blues at the end of February 2008, they sat atop the table, but a 2-2 draw and a shocking leg break for Croatia striker Eduardo, proved to be their downfall.
  
  Three consecutive stalemates followed - against Aston Villa, Wigan and Middlesbrough - and a defeat at Chelsea started their spiral from the summit.
  
  Wenger will be hoping his side are made of sterner stuff this time and he is likely to use their failings two years ago as his inspiration.
  
  Arsenal have won their previous five league fixtures and they sit just two points adrift of leaders Manchester United and, with a favourable run-in, the Emirates Stadium-based club will be confident of going close this term.
  
  Birmingham's form has taken a turn for the worst following a fantastic mid-season run that yielded seven wins and five draws from 12 fixtures.
  
  They have won just one in the last four - at Portsmouth - and back-to-back defeats against Sunderland and at Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday has locked Alex McLeish's men in ninth spot.
  
  Their unlikely European assault appears to be over, but a successful mid-table finish will be more than welcome for the side that won promotion from the Championship last season.
  
  The visitors will be without Thomas Vermaelen through suspension following his dismissal in last weekend's victory against West Ham United.
  
  Long-term absentees Aaron Ramsey (broken leg), Kieran Gibbs (metatarsal fracture), Robin Van Persie (ankle) and Johan Djourou (knee) are still sidelined.
  
  William Gallas' calf problem is easing, but the contest may come too soon for the Frenchman.
  
  Garry O'Connor (hip) and Lee Carsley (ankle) continue to be the only concerns for McLeish.
  
  Birmingham may still be hurting from their loss to Arsenal earlier in the season in north London.
  
  The classy Gunners secured a 3-1 win thanks to efforts from Van Persie, Abou Diaby amd Andrey Arshavin. Birmingham's sole reply came seven minutes before half-time through Lee Bowyer.

   

• Poignant

  27 Mar 10, 13:39

  FORM GUIDE
  
  Birmingham
  
  24 Mar (Premier League) v Blackburn Rovers (A) LOST 1-2
  20 Mar (Premier League) v Sunderland (A) LOST 1-3
  13 Mar (Premier League) v Everton (H) DREW 2-2
  09 Mar (Premier League) v Portsmouth (A) WON 2-1
  06 Mar (FA Cup) v Portsmouth (A) LOST 0-2
  27 Feb (Premier League) v Wigan Ath (H) WON 1-0
  
  Arsenal
  
  20 Mar (Premier League) v West Ham Utd (H) WON 2-0
  13 Mar (Premier League) v Hull City (A) WON 2-1
  09 Mar (Champions League) v Porto (H) WON 5-0
  06 Mar (Premier League) v Burnley (H) WON 3-1
  27 Feb (Premier League) v Stoke City (A) WON 3-1
  20 Feb (Premier League) v Sunderland (H) WON 2-0
  
  TEAM NEWS
  
  Birmingham
  
  McLeish has no new injury concerns or suspensions to deal with, but although he has largely kept faith with a familiar starting XI throughout the season, he may opt to change things after back-to-back defeats.
  
  However, Garry O'Connor (hip/thigh) and Lee Carsley (ankle) are both out of contention, while Gregory Vignal, back on the bench against Blackburn in midweek following injury, is lacking full match fitness.
  
  David Murphy is still recovering from a hamstring problem.
  
  Last starting XI (v Blackburn): Hart; Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Gardner (Larsson 74), Bowyer, Ferguson, Fahey (Phillips 79), McFadden, Jerome (Benitez 73). Subs Not Used: Taylor, Michel, Parnaby, Vignal.
  
  Arsenal
  
  For the first time in the League this season, Wenger is without centre-half Thomas Vermaelen, a major success story following his arrival from Ajax last summer. The Belgian serves a one-match ban for his controversial dismissal against West Ham, after failing in an appeal to have the red card rescinded.
  
  His absence - and that of calf injury victim William Gallas - means Wenger may pair the two veterans, Mikael Silvestre and Sol Campbell, in central defence, although the versatile Alex Song could conceivably be deployed as a centre-back; he showed typical composure and tenacity when switched there against the Hammers to fill the gap created by Vermaelen's sending-off.
  
  Striker Nicklas Bendtner has overcome an ankle injury and will play, but Robin van Persie, whose recovery from ankle ligament damage is progressing well, is not yet ready to return. Johan Djourou, Kieran Gibbs and Aaron Ramsey are also long-term absentees.
  
  Last starting XI (v West Ham): Almunia, Eboue, Campbell, Vermaelen, Clichy, Fabregas, Song, Denilson, Nasri (Sagna 74), Bendtner (Diaby 58), Arshavin (Eduardo 84). Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Rosicky, Walcott, Silvestre.

• Poignant

  27 Mar 10, 13:45

  PREDICTION
  
  Arsene Wenger has insisted his players are "too intelligent" to allow next week's mammoth clash against Barcelona to distract them from the job in hand: beating Birmingham. But Blues' boss Alex McLeish has warned Arsenal that his team will play "hard but fair" against them.
  
  With memories of Eduardo's fate inevitably revived, McLeish stressed: "You must be able to make tackles in football. I'll certainly say to my team 'don't stand back and admire them', but there won't be any rough stuff. We know if we are open, Arsenal will rip us apart, but we believe we have got players who can cause Arsenal problems as well."
  
  He added: "You've got to be competitive and, if you are brought up in the British game, that is the style of play. Arsene has created a European style in his team, with an international flavour, and they are fantastic to watch. But if we stand around and watch them we will get a battering so you've got to be making tackles. You must be able to make tackles in the game of football. It is a contact sport."
  
  The Blues have taken points off of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool already this season, so Arsenal know it will be tough. Their challenge is to stand up to and overcome the physical stuff with their passing and technical ability.   
  
  History is on their side - this will be the 130th meeting between the two teams, with Arsenal having won 57 of the previous encounters to Birmingham's 38; there have been 34 draws. And although the Blues have conceded just 10 league goals at home this season, a total only Manchester United (nine) can better, Arsenal have not failed to score at St Andrew's since May 1979.
  
  Birmingham City 1-2 Arsenal
  

• Rooney9

  28 Mar 10, 00:58

  almunia clown goalie. 1-1, last min equaliser by birmingham

• Poignant

  28 Mar 10, 01:36

  FT		Birmingham C. [1 - 1] Arsenal
  16'			A. Song
  25'			G. Clichy
  73'		B. Ferguson
  81'	[0 - 1]		S. Nasri
  85'		C. Gardner
  89'		S. Carr
  90'	[1 - 1]	K. Phillips

• Poignant

  28 Mar 10, 01:40

  .

• Poignant

  28 Mar 10, 01:46

  Birmingham 1 Arsenal 1

  Kevin Phillips dented Arsenal's title hopes with a dramatic late equaliser at St Andrews.

  Samir Nasri had come off the bench to fire the Gunners in front 10 minutes from time.

  But Blues substitute Phillips enjoyed a stroke of luck in injury-time as the ball looped off him and over Manuel Almunia to level.

  Arsene Wenger was greeted with boos from the Birmingham fans as he made his way along the touchline to the Arsenal dug-out, still disgruntled by his reaction to Martin Taylor's challenge on Eduardo which badly broke the Gunners striker's leg in 2008.

  - Football365.com

• Poignant

  28 Mar 10, 06:25

  ALMUNIA COSTLY MISTAKE

  http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcqikk_birmingham-city-1-1-arsenal_sport
  

• dragg

  28 Mar 10, 10:02

  arsenal should have signed another keeper.

  their are plenty good ones with the lower teams.

   

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  28 Mar 10, 11:17

  zzz
  
  
  wenger plz buy a good GK .......

• Y_Shun

  28 Mar 10, 13:43

  Wow look at the player Dann....I bet he was shouting DAAMN when he missed the chance to score. 

• zocoss

  28 Mar 10, 13:46

  Birmingham 1-1 Arsenal 

  Wenger in F-word rant

  

  Leave me alone with that, for f***'s sake

   

   

  ARSENE WENGER lost his rag after a late goal from Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips dented his Arsenal side's title hopes. The Frenchman had already expressed anger at the challenge by Blues midfielder Craig Gardner on Cesc Fabregas, which left the Spaniard with a knee injury. And he uttered a four-letter-word response when asked whether there had been more than one bad tackle during the 1-1 draw.

  Wenger said: "How is Fabregas? I don't know. We will have to assess him tomorrow. But it was a bad tackle, one more. "He got tackled at the knee, kicked just under the knee. We tried to take him off but he said he was all right. "Am I suggesting there were a lot of bad tackles? Leave me alone with that, for f***'s sake.

  "You are always looking for controversy, you do not need me to tell you what happened on the pitch. "I can give you my opinion about our game but you always create this controversy."

  As regards whether Fabregas will be fit for the midweek Champions League game with Barcelona, Wenger said: " I don't know. We have to assess him tomorrow."

  Wenger also felt that Phillips' equaliser, which cancelled out a goal from substitute Samir Nasri , was offside. But he admitted his team had enough opportunities to have wrapped up the three points

  He added: "It is disappointing and a big blow to our title hopes because, in our position, we had to win all our games. "The pitch was difficult to play on but in the second half we were on top but then got caught at the end.

  "Their goal was offside but in football you are never finished when two teams fight to the end and we had enough chances to have scored a second goal."

  Birmingham manager Alex McLeish meanwhile insisted Wenger was wrong to believe there was a vendetta against Arsenal.

  He said: "The tackle by Craig on Fabregas was robust. I know what Arsene was getting at because if you follow through, even if you have got the ball, then at that speed you can hurt a player. "But there were similar tackles by the Arsenal players and you have got to take it on the chin.

  "I think we deserved it. It was a kick in the guts when they went ahead with 10 minutes to go. "But again we showed that never-say-die attitude and Kevin came up trumps again. "We have been giving him a cameo role this season and it was the sort of goal he has been getting all his career and he is a great credit to his profession."

   

• TTFU

  28 Mar 10, 14:11

  The only thing ARSENE WENGER needs is a kick in the balls and not a kick in the guts. But dont blame him, he seriously needs more youth talent =P

• zocoss

  29 Mar 10, 00:16

  Wenger feels the pressure: Title race tension gets to Arsenal boss
  

   

   

  Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger lost his cool yesterday after a late goal from Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips dented his side's Premier League title hopes.

  Wenger was angry over the challenge by Craig Gardner on Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas, which left the Spain midfielder with a knee injury and in doubt for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg with Barcelona.

   

  

   

  

   

  Under pressure: Manager Arsene Wenger goes through the mill as Arsenal are held by Birmingham 

   

  

   

   

   

   

  But the Frenchman, who has questioned opponents' tactics against Arsenal, flipped when asked in his Press conference whether there had been more than one bad tackle during the 1-1 draw.

  Wenger said: 'Am I suggesting there were a lot of bad tackles? Leave me alone with that, for ****'s sake. You are always looking for controversy.'

  On his captain's injury, he added: 'We have to assess him tomorrow. 'It was a bad tackle, one more. He got kicked just under the knee.'

• dragg

  29 Mar 10, 10:32

  phillips is one of the best strikers in the premiership.

  happy to see he is still scoring.