De door Samir Nasri benutte penalty betekende de gelijkmaker voor The Gunners. 'Ik heb hem honderd procent zeker niet geraakt', bezweert Birmingham-verdediger Scott Dann. 'Toen ik de herhaling zag, snap ik dat het een lastige beslissing voor de scheidsrechter was, maar ik weet zeker dat hij neerging met de bedoeling de scheidsrechter te foppen. Mijn voet stond er wel, maar ik heb hem niet geraakt. Chamakh is een diver.'
'Er was absoluut contact', reageert Chamakh. 'Die verdediger van Birmingham raakte me en dan is het aan de scheidsrechter om wel of niet een strafschop te geven. Ik snap de teleurstelling van Birmingham maar ik werd geraakt en kon niet anders dan onderuit gaan. Ik probeer altijd te blijven staan, maar nu kon ik niet anders. De penalty was terecht.'
'Chamakh duikt niet zomaar', steunt Arsenal-coach Arsène Wenger zijn aanvaller. 'Ik heb het moment teruggekeken en hij haalt gewoon zijn rechtervoet neer. Toen ging hij neer - en maakte er iets meer van dan dat het was - en we kregen een penalty. Een terechte.'
Marouane Chamakh says that Scott Dann made definite contact with him in the all-important penalty incident on Saturday.
Four minutes before half-time at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal equalised Birmingham's early opener thanks to a hotly-disputed spot-kick.
The cast-iron facts are these: Chamakh went to ground after a challenge from Dann, referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot and Samir Nasri scored. The rest is open to debate.
The Birmingham team were unhappy with the decision but, speaking afterwards, Chamakh was in no doubt.
“There was definitely a contact,” he said. “The Birmingham defender touched me and then it was all about the ref to give it or not. Against Chelsea there was contact [from a challenge in the area] and he did not give one, today he did.
“If they don’t think it is a penalty then they can be disappointed but for me there was a definite touch. I fell because I was touched otherwise I would not have fallen in the area.”
Four minutes before half-time at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal equalised Birmingham's early opener thanks to a hotly-disputed spot-kick.
The cast-iron facts are these: Chamakh went to ground after a challenge from Dann, referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot and Samir Nasri scored. The rest is open to debate.
The Birmingham team were unhappy with the decision but, speaking afterwards, Chamakh was in no doubt.
“There was definitely a contact,” he said. “The Birmingham defender touched me and then it was all about the ref to give it or not. Against Chelsea there was contact [from a challenge in the area] and he did not give one, today he did.
“If they don’t think it is a penalty then they can be disappointed but for me there was a definite touch. I fell because I was touched otherwise I would not have fallen in the area.”