Birmingham 2-2 Arsenal

Feb 24 2008 Jamie Hewitt Reports

JAMES McFADDEN dented Arsene Wenger's title hopes with a glory double then blasted the Arsenal boss for his attack on shamed Birmingham defender Martin Taylor.

The Gunners boss let rip with a furious tirade on Taylor after the City stopper broke Arsenal hitman Eduardo da Silva's leg with a horror lunge in just three minutes.

Scotland star Faddy's sensational free-kick fired 10-man Birmingham ahead but TheoWalcott's double - his first Premiership goals - put Arsenal in front. But McFadden had the last laugh with a late equaliser and the last word after Wenger called for Taylor to be banned for life.

McFadden said: "It's ridiculous for a manager of Wenger's stature to say a player should never play again. Martinwas not trying to injure him.

"He is a gentle giant and has no history of being malicious.

"That's why it is scandalous for Wenger to be saying things like that. It's out of order."

Wenger claimed he knew one of his stars was heading for a bad injury because rival players always put the boot into his team.

He said: "This goes with the idea that to stop Arsenal you must kick Arsenal. I knew this thing would happen one day.

"The injury is the result of a bad tackle that is not forgivable. He appears to have broken his shin and his fibula.

"If you watch it again you can't say Taylor played the ball."

Wenger later regretted his outburst, saying he had spoken in the heat of the moment and his comments were "excessive".

But McFadden says he didn't think Taylor even deserved to be sent off for the challenge.

Faddy said: "I'm not sure it was a red card and spoke to the ref who I feel made his decision on the injury, not the tackle. It is never nice to see. I've seen it a few times on the pitch, it happened when I was at Motherwell to David Cowan."

After thematch restarted the home side took a surprise lead in 28 minutes when McFadden curled home a brilliant free-kick.

The Gunners turned the match on its head when Walcott scored twice in five second-half minutes.

His first came in 50 minutes following a knock-down from Emmanuel Adebayor then he cut in from the left and let fly with a low drive to make it 2-1.

McFadden got City's leveller with a controversial last-gasp penalty after Gael Clichy was penalised for a tackle on Stuart Parnaby.

City last night issued a statement in defence of Taylor - whowas said to be "distraught" by boss Alex McLeish - and wished Eduardo a fast recovery.

It read: "Martin is adamant there was no malicious intent in the tackle and is deeply upset by the extent of Eduardo's injury."