Arsenal indebted to Clemence's slice of bad luck
Arsène Wenger has said that two bookmakers have taken a "big risk" by paying out already on Chelsea winning the Premiership this season but those betting firms will not be losing any sleep about the thought of Arsenal overhauling the leaders just yet. Wenger's team got the victory they craved yesterday but needed a late deflected shot to sneak past Birmingham's 10 men. The Guardian
Arsenal win denies Taylor due reward
What a pity, from Maik Taylor's point of view, that football matches don't last for 80 minutes. Had this been the case yesterday, the Birmingham goalkeeper could have reflected upon a towering performance which rescued a point for a team reduced to 10 men after 25 minutes and sent Arsenal's Premiership challenge into potentially terminal decline. The Independent
Heroic Taylor sunk by touch of misfortune
Arsene Wenger made great play of the fluke goal by which his team lost to Chelsea in August, but yesterday the Arsenal manager filled the role of embarrassed beneficiary. Birmingham City’s ten men were near to closing out the match when Stephen Clemence, their midfield player, stuck out a foot to divert Robin van Persie’s 25-yard shot over Maik Taylor, the prone goalkeeper. Times
Acrobatic Taylor falls foul of fluke
For 81 minutes the autumn sun shone, literally and metaphorically, upon injury-depleted Birmingham - then finally deserted them when heroic goalkeeper Maik Taylor was deceived into conceding a deflected goal from substitute Robin van Persie. The Telegraph