Arsenal's bid to reclaim the Premier League title suffered a double setback on Saturday as the Gunners were held to a 2-2 draw by struggling Birmingham on a day marred by a horrific injury to striker Eduardo.
The Brazilian-born forward will not play again this season after suffering a suspected broken leg as a result of a challenge by Martin Taylor, who received a straight red card and scathing criticism from Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who claimed the Birmingham defender "should never play football again."
Wenger's reaction to the incident was probably influenced by his frustration at seeing his side drop two points by conceding an injury-time penalty which James McFadden converted.
Theo Walcott looked to have secured all three points for the Gunners with two goals in the space of five minutes just after the break after McFadden had given the home side a first-half lead with a superb curling free-kick.
But, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Gunners left-back Gael Clichy was judged - harshly television replays suggested - to have tripped Stuart Parnaby in the box and McFadden struck the resulting penalty high into the net.
Arsenal's frustration was underlined by the sight of captain William Gallas stamping his studs into a pitch-side advertising hoarding, a gesture that earned him a yellow card.
McFadden's equaliser could prove even more costly come the end of the season with the points dropped by Arsenal handing Manchester United the chance to cut their lead at the top to three points by beating Newcastle at St James' Park in Saturday's evening match. Elsewhere on Saturday, a Fernando Torres hat-trick inspired Liverpool to a 3-2 win over Middlesbrough at Anfield and lifted Rafael Benitez's side back into the top four.
At the bottom, Fulham were pushed closer to the drop after a 1-0 home defeat by West Ham while Wigan gave their surival chances a huge boost by beating bottom side Derby 2-0.
Nolberto Solano claimed the points for West Ham with an 87th-minute strike at Fulham, who had Denmark defender Leon Andreasen sent off after receiving a second yellow card for his protests to the referee about the goal.
Late goals from Paul Scharner and Antonio Valencia lifted Wigan four points clear of the relegation zone. Sunderland are in an identical position after succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth, for whom Jermain Defoe slotted in a penalty with just over 20 minutes left.
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS: Birmingham 2 (McFadden 28, 90-pen) Arsenal 2 (Walcott 50, 55) Fulham 0 West Ham 1 (Solano 87)
Liverpool 3 (Torres 28, 29, 61) Middlesbrough 2 (Sanli 9, Downing 83)
Portsmouth 1 (Defoe 69-pen) Sunderland 0 Wigan 2 (Scharner 60, Valencia 84) Derby 0.
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