Tailor Tragedy: Arsenal 1 – 0 Birmingham
1 comment October 3rd, 2005
After putting in what Arsene Wenger called, “one of the best goalkeeping performances I’ve seen at Highbury”, Maik Taylor did not deserve the events of the 81st minute. Having saved a Robert Pires penalty, 7 Jose Antonio Reyes shots, and countless other efforts, a long range Robin van Persie strike deflected off Steven Clemence and bobbled over the hapless keeper and into the net. Cue jubilation for Arsenal; despair for Taylor & co.
In the early portion of the game, Arsenal had been poor. Birmingham, and particularly Emile Heskey, had taken full advantage. But all that changed when Kenny Cunningham was correctly sent off in the 24th minute for a professional foul on Freddie Ljungberg.
We then came back into the game, and soon after won a penalty when Ljungberg was again tripped, this time by Damien Johnson. Robert Pires stepped up to take the kick, but Tailor plunged to his left to paw away a tame effort.
There then followed a crescendo of Arsenal pressure, with Tailor pulling off miracle save after miracle save. Finally, though, in the 81st minute, van Persie’s speculative effort proved a save too far for the Northern Irish stopper. Some people have credited the goal as an own goal. Frankly, this is ridiculous: it’s Robin’s all the way.
Not a great win, but a good one. It could easily have been one of those days where Birmingham sneaked a 0-0.
But they didn’t.
And so, we waited expectantly for Chelsea to slip up away to Liverpool.
They won 4-1.
Oh well.
