Birmingham City midfielder Craig Gardner: ‘Petrified’ Arsenal were intimidated in League Cup final

Arsenal & Birmingham City team shot – League Cup final

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Birmingham City midfielder Craig Gardner thought Arsenal were bullied into submission in Sunday’s League Cup final.

Blues were huge outsiders for the game but sprung a surprise by outplaying the Gunners in the first half of the contest.

Gardner believes the hustle and bustle attitude that Birmingham showed in the opening exchanges scared Arsenal and from that moment they were there for the taking.

He told Sky Sports News: “It was brilliant because the way we started, we started like a house on fire and we really got into them and you could see they were petrified and they were scared and then it all just went from there.

“Big Ziggy [Nikola Zigic] scored then they got the equaliser, but we always thought we could go on and win it.

“Even at half-time we were talking saying it was there for us and up stepped Oba [Martins] and it was brilliant.

“Big Ziggy played up front on his own and I think he bullied them. They were petrified of him, midfielders were running off big Ziggy and we caused them problems.”

Gardner was forced off in the second half with an injury and had to watch while his team were pushed further back. Despite Arsenal’s domination of possession, the midfielder believes that his team were well worth their victory.

“All the lads from Fossie [Ben Foster] up to Ziggy throughout the team we deserved the trophy,” he added.

“Stephen Carr hit the nail on the head when he said Arsenal have got more ability in the changing room but we have got more heart.

“The lads are brilliant and their determination and will to win is second to none.”