Without Their play maker Cesc Fabregas and several key players like Bakary Sagna,Thomas Vermaelen and Manuel Almunia(You decide) to Marshall the team on.Arsenal still had good news as Bendtner and Walcott have come back from injury and fit for the bench.They started their Aggressiveness from start and in the ten minutes Arsenal already were controlling the game and had three serious chances in that space of time but not for the Awareness of the defence and keeper of Birmingham.
But all that hard work from the Offensive players were not seen in the defensive line of Djourou,Squallaci,Clichy and Eboue.Zigic(Tallest man in the premier league) Who is making his debut game them a torrid time in Aerial challenges.
And all that crumbling defensive finally paid price as in what seem like the only real attack by Birmingham with former Arsenal player Keith Fahey sending in a delighting ball into the box to give some regret to Arsene and onto the on rising head of Zigic in the 33rd minute.The Defence were completely ripped apart.And all of a sudden,Birmingham were in the lead.
Surprised by that,Arsenal stepped up their game by adding more Pressure to the defence with some slick passing but once again their lack of Scoring instinct were killing them.They had all the possesion but the defence of Birmingham just stood still and the keeper didn't even have to worry.It countinued like that when suddenly Disaster struck for Birmingham in the 41st minute as Referee Martin Atkinson Awarded Arsenal an penalty as Scott Dann was adjudged to have Tackled Maroune Chamakh although replays showed there wasn't any real contact but nevertheless up step up Samir Nasri who calmly slotted the ball onto the right side of the keeper to level the game.1-1 in the 41st minute.
Birmingham certainly didn't like the decision and for the next few minutes leading up to the first half.Tempers were at flare with players having tussles with one another until finally the Referee said enough is enough by ending the first half.With 15th minutes to calm down,The players did look more calm in the start of the second half.Two minutes into the second half,Birmingham had more horror in sight as Maroune Chamakh got through a sloppy defence as they failed to retrieve the ball slid through by the ever improving Jack Wilshire and calmly brought the ball around the keeper and scored to end his three game sequence without a goal!.All of a sudden,Birmingham dream lead was over!
After that goal,Birmingham were all over the place as more then 80% of possession were for Arsenal.Birmingham didn't know what hit them as they were being outplayed big time! But defence were there to cover up the Arsenal players who did everything well but just couldn't get the ball in the net.
It all were going to plan for Arsenal,But It was marred late into the game as Jack Wilshire who i don't even think made a tackle on that Evening Made a reckless late tackle on Zigic which later Arsene also said he deserve that red carded.With that red card,Birmingham then started to get possession with some late pressure to get a goal against the team that have let in a pretty amount of goals very late in games.But the held on till the whistle was blown.That took them three points higher and into second place leveled with Man Utd(Drew),Tottenham(Won) but only above them by goals.
With over 60% of possession,Arsenal should have finished of the game but as we all know with injuries they are not at their best at the moment while for Birmingham it's back to the drawing bored with yet another winless game although they can take some positives from finally ending the goal drought.
Arsenal XI: 21-Lukasz Fabianski; 22-Gael Clichy, 20-Johan Djourou, 18-Sebastien Squillaci, 27-Emmanuel Eboué; 23-Andrei Arshavin (7-Tomas Rosicky 70), 19-Jack Wilshere, 17-Alex Song, 8-Samir Nasri; 2-Abou Diaby; 29-Marouane Chamakh (52-Nicklas Bendtner 79)
Birmingham XI: 26-Ben Foster; 6-Liam Ridgewell, 15-Scott Dann, 5-Roger Johnson, 2-Stephen Carr; 18-Keith Fahey (3-David Murphy 78), 4-Lee Bowyer (11-Garry O'Connor 80), 12-Barry Ferguson, 7-Sebastian Larsson; 22-Alexander Hleb; 19-Nikola Zigic
My man of the match:Jack Wilshire(Arsenal)
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