Birmingham City – Arsenal

1. All the St Andrews action, kicking off at 16.05 GMT on Sunday

2. Vieira and Ljungberg are both injured for Arsenal so Edu, Gilberto, Pires and Wiltord make up the Gunners midfield.

3. Birmingham's injury problems persist and new signings Clapham, Clemence and Dugarry all start for the Blues.

4. Arsenal are late coming out of the tunnel and the Birmingham players are already out on the pitch.

5. Now there is a technical hitch at St Andrews. The floodlights have just gone out.......it's all going smoothly so far.

6. Is there an electrician in the house?

7. Officials and ground staff are holding a conference on the pitch. Seems that the kick-off will be delayed. The teams are going in again and will be given time to warm up after the lights come back on.

8. The delay will give Dugarry time to reflect on his move to Birmingham City, and give me a chance to get a cup of tea.

9. The majority of the lights are back on, the ref seems happy and kick-off should be in approximately 5/10 minutes.

10. The last time these two teams met it was the first day of the season and the Gunners ran out 2-0 winners at Highbury.

11. Both sides are back on the pitch warming up. It sounds like the crowd might need to do the same.

12. 1'

    Birmingham City, and more specifically Dugarry, finally get the game underway.

13. 1'

    Arsenal with the early possession. Henry makes an early run and Johnson fouls him about 20-yards out.

14. 2'

    Arsenal play it short to Gilberto. Vickesr gets in the way and Birmingham eventually hoof the ball clear.

15. 2'

    Cole chips the ball over the defence and Bergkamp bears down on goal. Vickers forces the Dutchman wide.

16. 3'

    Arsenal are caught in defence by Savage. The We4lshman whips in a cross, John flicks on and the ball drops to Dugarry........

17. 3'

    ......the Frenchman volleys narrowly wide.

18. 4'

    John chases long-ball down the wing. Lauren out paces him and clears the danger for the Gunners.

19. 5'

    Henry picks up the clearence and plays it left to Berkgamp in midfield. Henry continues his run through the defence and gets the return ball from Bergkamp......

20. 5'

    ......Henry rounds Vaesen and slots the ball home. GOAL!!!!!!

21. 6'

    Arsenal are having no problems cutting through the Blues' defence and this could be a rout if they don't sort it out.

22. 7'

    Kenna chips the ball up to Duggary, who out jumps Campbell but has no support for the knock down.

23. 8'

    City win a corner. Clemence takes it, but its cut out easily on the edge of the box.

24. 9'

    Kenna over runs the ball, Bergkamp slides in with a late challenge and City get a freekick.

25. 10'

    Pires skips past Coly but Johnson is there covering. He concedes a corner.

26. 11'

    Henry whips the ball in, it drops to Edu who blasts it goalwards from at the back post.....

27. 11'

    ....Vaesen makes a reflex save and Birmingham finally manage to scuff the ball clear.

28. 12'

    John chases a longball down the centre. He hasn't got the pace to get there and Cole mops up for Arsenal.

29. 13'

    Arsenal are playing all the nice football at the moment. City are just getting stuck in.

30. 14'

    Vaesen rushes out his area to make a headed clearence and narrowly gets there ahead of Henry, to the 'oooos' of the crowd.

31. 15'

    Pires pulls the ball back to the edge of the box for Henry to strike......

32. 16'

    ...The netting ripples but luckily for City it was the side of the goal.

33. 17'

    Lauren hauls down Clapham and City get a freekick. the ball is chipped into the area for Dugarry, who takes the ball down on his chest but is offside.

34. 18'

    City attack down the wing. Clemence picks up the ball, has nowhere to go and runs back towards his own goal.

35. 19'

    Cole has the ball on the left and is getting booed at his every touch - the City fans remember his costly 'dive' in the two sides' first meeting earlier this season.

36. 20'

    Coly takes a poor touch in defence, he hacks down Edu trying to maintain possession and gets booked for his trouble.

37. 21'

    Arsenal are applying all the pressure at the moment. City are feeding on scraps.

38. 22'

    Johnson hits a longball to Dugarry. The French wins the header and Knocks it down for the onrushing John.......

39. 23'

    ...Keown and Campbell converge to snuff out the danger.

40. 24'

    Clapham comes in from the left and collects the ball with acres of space in the midfield. He hits a 30-yard shot which Seaman parries, then collects.

41. 25'

    The crowd are really getting behind the Blues now.

42. 26'

    Dugarry is isolated on the leftwing. He twists and turns past two defenders, passes the ball inside and City win a freekick.

43. 27'

    Kenna lofts the ball to the back post, Dugarry nods it down. Nobody can get control of the ball, there is a sciffle in the box and City win a corner.

44. 28'

    M.Johnson makes a hash in defence, under pressure form Wiltord, and Pires collects the ball on the edge of the box......

45. 29'

    .....The Frenchman smashes the ball past Vaesen, into the billowing net and its 2-0 Arsenal. GOAL!!!!!

46. 30'

    That's a real blow to City, who had just fought their way back into the match. Steve Bruce's side have a mountain to climb now.

47. 31'

    Dugarry juggles the ball on the touchline until Lauren sprints in with his feet flying and takes the Frenchman down. Yellow card.

48. 32'

    Wiltord takes a tumble in the City box. No Penalty. Clapham drives down the other end and takes a tumble in the Gunners box. No Penalty.

49. 33'

    Dugarry takes the ball down with style, turns towards goal and the whistle goes for a dubious offside.

50. 34'

    Coly, who has already been booked and has had a shocker so far, clatters Henry and could be sent off here......

51. 35'

    ...The referee calls him over and opts for a ticking off rather than another yellow card.

52. 36'

    Johnson drives down the right flank and wins a corner deep in Arsenal's half.

53. 37'

    City keep the pressure on but there over enthusiasm results in foul on gilberto and a freekick to Arsenal.

54. 38'

    Arsenal keep possession and Cole eventually wins a corner on the right.

55. 39'

    Vaesen attempts to punch clear, misses, and the ball drops to back post. Kenna pounces on the loose ball and pumps it clear.

56. 40'

    John powers the ball at Dugarry, who controls it on his chest but can't chip the ball over the defence.

57. 41'

    Campbell heads clear as far as Clemence. The former Tottenham player sets himself for a long-range shot.........

58. 42'

    .....He blasts it into row Z as his father, goalkeeping great Ray Clemence, watches from the stands.

59. 43'

    City win a freekick on the right. Clemence whips the ball into a crowded box.......

60. 44'

    ...John rises highest and gets a glancing header at goal that forces Seaman to make a diving save low to his right.

61. 45'

    The referee blows his whistle and that's the final action of the half.

62. Birmingham have some serious work to do in the second-half if they want to get back into this match.

63. Arsenal are running the show at St Andrews Stadium and it will be a simple request for 'more of the same' from manager Arsene Wenger.

64. 46'

    Arsenal get the second-half underway.

65. 46'

    City work the touchline deep into Arsenal's half. Coly delivers the cross and Seaman comes off his line to pluck the ball out of the air.

66. 47'

    Wiltord switches the ball to the left. Coly slides in on Cole and actually makes the tackle this time.

67. 48'

    Clemence clips in a corner form the right and Gilberto heads clear for Arsenal.

68. 49'

    Dugarry teases the Arsenal defence on the edge of the area. He cuts the ball to the left for Clapham, whose cross is cut out at the near post.

69. 50'

    M.Johnson has a difficult bouncing ball to deal with. This time he plays a good header back to his goalkeeper Vaesen.

70. 51'

    The Birmingham City fans have found their voices once again and are urging their side on.

71. 52'

    Henry collects the ball in midfield and drives forward. Bergkamp makes a run, gets the ball from Henry but the whislte goes for offside as he shapes to shoot.

72. 53'

    Johnson drifts in a cross from the right. John chests the ball down but only succeeds in finding an Arsenal defender.

73. 54'

    Clapham chips the ball over the advancing Gunners defence. The ball drops over Dugarry's shoulder but Campbell knicks the ball off his toe.

74. 55'

    Birmingham building up some pressure until John miscontrols on the edge of the box.

75. 56'

    Lauren crosses from the right. Vickers stretches out a leg and concedes a corner.

76. 57'

    Henry takes the corner to shouts of 'who are ya' and scuffs it low to the near post.

77. 58'

    Birmingham break with Dugarry. The Frenchman dances around Keown's tackle so the Arsenal defender decides to take him out.

78. 59'

    Keown gets a yellow card and the booking means he will miss Arsenal's clash with Liverpool on the 29th.

79. 60'

    The referee stops play. Henry has taken a blow to the face but he is soon back on his feet.

80. 61'

    Birmingham are battling hard but can't make the breakthrough.

81. 62'

    Dugarry displays some more trickery on the leftwing. His eventual cross is headed clear as far as Clapham, who hits a tame shot wide.

82. 63'

    Birmingham are playing in Arsenal's half now. That is until Coly plays a diabolical square ball that's cut out. He makes amends by winning the ball back.

83. 64'

    Henry skips past two tackles then dramaticallyits the deck and wins a freekick.

84. 65'

    Wiltord gets in behind the City defence. M.Johnson makes an important interception at the near post and Arsenal get a corner.

85. 66'

    Henry delivers a deep cross. The ball is chipped back to the far post where two Arsenal players are waiting.....

86. 67'

    .......Lauren out jumps M.Johnson and his looping header drifts over Vaesen and nestles in the back of the net. GOAL!!!!

87. 68'

    That's really knocked the stuffing out City now.

88. 69'

    Arsenal continue their relentless attacking play with Pires on the left. He cuts inside and finds Wiltord on the edge of the box....

89. 69'

    ....Wiltord spins and plays the ball to the right of the box for the on-rushing Henry......

90. 69'

    ....Henry shoots across Vaesen and it's number four for Arsenal. GOAL!!!!

91. 70'

    It all over for City now.

92. 71'

    Manager Steve Bruce makes a couple of substitutions anyway. the Hapless Coly is replaced by Grainger and Clemence is replaced by Devlin.

93. 72'

    Dugarry is still trying to make something happen, but his tired legs can't get a cross past Lauren.

94. 73'

    Clapham plays a cross-field ball for Devlin. However, its about 20' over his head.

95. 74'

    Arsenal make a change. Edu, who has taken a few knocks, is replaced by van Bronckhorst.

96. 75'

    Jeffers is also warming up for Arsenal as Henry attacks down the left.

97. 76'

    Henry has no support so he whips in a cross. M.Johnson stoops to head clear at the back post and somehow manages to head the ball against his own goalkeeper. M.Johnson is having a nightmare.

98. 77'

    Arsenal make another change. Bergkamp is replaced by Jeffers.

99. 78'

    Pires, who has had an excellent game, is replaced by Toure.

100. 79'

     The Birmingham City fans are still relentless in their taunts of the Arsenal players, despite being 4-0 down.

101. 80'

     Henry is looking for his hat-trick. He comes in from the left and skips past two players before curling a long-range shot just wide of Vaesen's lefthand post.

102. 81'

     Lauren is down in his own penalty area. The ref stops play so he can recieve treatment.

103. 83'

     Lauren is on his feet and the game restarts as Devlin drives forward for City.

104. 84'

     Birmingham make their final change. Dugarry goes off, to a standing ovation, and is replaced by Kirovski.

105. 85'

     Devlin drives down the right and plays the ball infield to Kirovski, who evades two challanges on the edge of the box before setting up John for a shot......

106. 86'

     ...John blasts the ball way over the bar after some good work from his teammates.

107. 87'

     Devlin, who has been brilliant since he came on, drives down the right once more. He skips past Cole but the linesman raises his flag to say the ball was out of play.

108. 88'

     Arsenal go straight dwon the other end. Henry plays a through-ball to Wiltord, who is wrongly adjudged to be offside.

109. 89'

     Savage skirts the edge of the box. He sets up Kirovski, who passes to John....nobody wants to take the shot and Arsenal clear their lines.

110. 90'

     Johnson fells van Bronckhorst in the centre circle and gets a yellow card for the foul.

111. 91'

     Henry stands over a freekick 25-yards out and this must be the last kick of the game.....

112. 91'

     ...Henry rolls the ball to Wiltord, who shoots into the wall and the final whistle blows.

113. Job done for Arsenal. Easy 4-0 winners at St Andrews and they move five points clear of Manchester United at the top the Premiership.

114. Despite defeat Bruce will be pleased with new signings Dugarry and Clapham, who both made their mark on the match, but less so with Clemence and Coly - who made his home debut.

Sağlayıcının güncel lig tablosudur; maçın oynandığı tarihteki sıralama olmayabilir.