Arsenal's Croatian striker Eduardo will be out for months after a horror tackle by Birmingham City's Martin Taylor. The tackle broke Eduardo's foot, and Taylor was left distraught at after the match - the gruesome injury was caught on camera.
Some people may find find these pictures below distressing...
Arsenal day of horror - Eduardo injured then McFadden's penalty dents Wenger's title hopes
Premier League
Birmingham City 2-2 Arsenal
By MARK RYAN
24th February 2008
Daily Mail
PLEASE BE AWARE: YOU MAY FIND SOME OF THE FOLLOWING IMAGES DISTRESSING
By the summer, Arsene Wenger might just look back on the past week and decide that this was where Arsenal's season fell apart. But for now, after a third successive match without a win, the Frenchman remains defiant.
Birmingham's hero was James McFadden, whose injury-time penalty flew over a diving Manuel Almunia but safely under the bar. His manager Alex McLeish celebrated as though Premier League survival had been secured in that single instant.
Surprise: Birmingham City's James McFadden (R) celebrates his goal against Arsenal
For Wenger, however, it rounded off a dreadful afternoon — and not just because Gael Clichy appeared to reach the ball before clattering into Stuart Parnaby to give away the spot-kick.
The horrific injury to Brazilianborn Croatia international striker Eduardo as early as the third minute threw the Premier League leaders off-balance as they struggled to come to terms with what they had seen.
Tricky play: Theo Walcott puts the Gunners 2-1 up
"Yes," admitted Wenger afterwards, "a hundred per cent that had a big effect on my players."
And although he was sad for Eduardo, he refused to view the past seven days as the moment the wheels fell off his charge to glory on several fronts.
"Terrible week? Why?" said a steely Wenger. "I'm sorry you did not rate sufficiently highly the quality of the Milan game."
He clearly feels that a glorious Champions League and Premier League double are still very much there for the taking — even though two points were squandered at a time when Arsenal must have thought — with some justification — that they were home and dry, thanks to Theo Walcott's first Premier League goals.
They had done the hard part by recovering from the shock of seeing Eduardo carried off on a stretcher with a grotesquely distorted foot.
The perpetrator of the crude lunge which caused such damage was Birmingham defender Martin Taylor and referee Mike Dean immediately showed him the red card, although locals insist that he does not have a malicious bone in his body.
Bad break: Arsenal's Eduardo lay's in pain with a suspected broken leg following a challenge by Birmingham City's Martin Taylo
Ten-man Birmingham played with passion and pride after the seven-minute delay as Eduardo was carefully taken from the field of play and, suddenly, it was the visitors who were on the back foot.
Before long, they had to take McFadden's glorious opener — a curling free-kick — on the chin. As much as Wenger argued about the free-kick which handed the Scot his spectacular first goal, television replays showed that Mathieu Flamini had deliberately backed into the forward as he began to weave his way through the Gunners' defence.
Wenger looked anxious and angry for the rest of the half, but his team talk during the interval appeared to work wonders for the spirits of his charges.
Bad break: The true horror of Eduardo's injury from Taylor's challenge
From a Cesc Fabregas corner, Emmanuel Adebayor outjumped Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor, cutting his eye in the process, and Walcott was left to flick the ball into the net from close range.
Ten minutes into the second half and Arsenal were ahead. Liam Ridgewell was careless in Birmingham's defence and Walcott simply rampant as he latched on to the loose ball and unleashed what would have been a worthy winner with his left foot.
Sudden impact: Taylor got a straight red card for the challenge on Eduardo which broke his leg
No Premier League goals during all those years of promise and suddenly two had come along at the same time. The teenager looked as shocked as anyone as he wondered how to celebrate in front of the travelling fans.
"We're going to win for Eduardo," sang those ecstatic supporters, and no one present at St Andrew's could doubt them as the home side's brave challenge finally appeared to have run out of steam.
Then Birmingham substitute Parnaby stole down the right, Clichy took the risk of making a firm challenge and Arsenal's sorry afternoon had taken yet another turn for the worst.
Emergency: Eduardo is carried off on a stretcher
McLeish, however, was thrilled with the point his team's sheer determination had salvaged.
"It could be very, very important, that point, because this is a very competitive league," said the former Scotland boss.
"I'm pleased for our players and the boldness and bravery they showed."
dailymail.co.uk
Some people may find find these pictures below distressing...
Arsenal day of horror - Eduardo injured then McFadden's penalty dents Wenger's title hopes
Premier League
Birmingham City 2-2 Arsenal
By MARK RYAN
24th February 2008
Daily Mail
PLEASE BE AWARE: YOU MAY FIND SOME OF THE FOLLOWING IMAGES DISTRESSING
By the summer, Arsene Wenger might just look back on the past week and decide that this was where Arsenal's season fell apart. But for now, after a third successive match without a win, the Frenchman remains defiant.
Birmingham's hero was James McFadden, whose injury-time penalty flew over a diving Manuel Almunia but safely under the bar. His manager Alex McLeish celebrated as though Premier League survival had been secured in that single instant.
Surprise: Birmingham City's James McFadden (R) celebrates his goal against Arsenal
For Wenger, however, it rounded off a dreadful afternoon — and not just because Gael Clichy appeared to reach the ball before clattering into Stuart Parnaby to give away the spot-kick.
The horrific injury to Brazilianborn Croatia international striker Eduardo as early as the third minute threw the Premier League leaders off-balance as they struggled to come to terms with what they had seen.
Tricky play: Theo Walcott puts the Gunners 2-1 up
"Yes," admitted Wenger afterwards, "a hundred per cent that had a big effect on my players."
And although he was sad for Eduardo, he refused to view the past seven days as the moment the wheels fell off his charge to glory on several fronts.
"Terrible week? Why?" said a steely Wenger. "I'm sorry you did not rate sufficiently highly the quality of the Milan game."
He clearly feels that a glorious Champions League and Premier League double are still very much there for the taking — even though two points were squandered at a time when Arsenal must have thought — with some justification — that they were home and dry, thanks to Theo Walcott's first Premier League goals.
They had done the hard part by recovering from the shock of seeing Eduardo carried off on a stretcher with a grotesquely distorted foot.
The perpetrator of the crude lunge which caused such damage was Birmingham defender Martin Taylor and referee Mike Dean immediately showed him the red card, although locals insist that he does not have a malicious bone in his body.
Bad break: Arsenal's Eduardo lay's in pain with a suspected broken leg following a challenge by Birmingham City's Martin Taylo
Ten-man Birmingham played with passion and pride after the seven-minute delay as Eduardo was carefully taken from the field of play and, suddenly, it was the visitors who were on the back foot.
Before long, they had to take McFadden's glorious opener — a curling free-kick — on the chin. As much as Wenger argued about the free-kick which handed the Scot his spectacular first goal, television replays showed that Mathieu Flamini had deliberately backed into the forward as he began to weave his way through the Gunners' defence.
Wenger looked anxious and angry for the rest of the half, but his team talk during the interval appeared to work wonders for the spirits of his charges.
Bad break: The true horror of Eduardo's injury from Taylor's challenge
From a Cesc Fabregas corner, Emmanuel Adebayor outjumped Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor, cutting his eye in the process, and Walcott was left to flick the ball into the net from close range.
Ten minutes into the second half and Arsenal were ahead. Liam Ridgewell was careless in Birmingham's defence and Walcott simply rampant as he latched on to the loose ball and unleashed what would have been a worthy winner with his left foot.
Sudden impact: Taylor got a straight red card for the challenge on Eduardo which broke his leg
No Premier League goals during all those years of promise and suddenly two had come along at the same time. The teenager looked as shocked as anyone as he wondered how to celebrate in front of the travelling fans.
"We're going to win for Eduardo," sang those ecstatic supporters, and no one present at St Andrew's could doubt them as the home side's brave challenge finally appeared to have run out of steam.
Then Birmingham substitute Parnaby stole down the right, Clichy took the risk of making a firm challenge and Arsenal's sorry afternoon had taken yet another turn for the worst.
Emergency: Eduardo is carried off on a stretcher
McLeish, however, was thrilled with the point his team's sheer determination had salvaged.
"It could be very, very important, that point, because this is a very competitive league," said the former Scotland boss.
"I'm pleased for our players and the boldness and bravery they showed."
dailymail.co.uk