Birmingham midfielder Craig Gardner believes their tactics left Arsenal 'petrified' during their Carling Cup final victory.
Blues star hails team-mates & boss
Birmingham midfielder Craig Gardner believes their tactics left Arsenal 'petrified' during their Carling Cup final victory.
Obafemi Martins' last-gasp goal earned Birmingham a famous win as they lifted their first major trophy since 1963.
Arsenal were heavy favourites to win the first silverware of the season, but Gardner believes Birmingham's attacking approach caught the Gunners out and that they could not handle Nikola Zigic up front.
"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," Gardner told
Sky Sports News.
"Big Ziggy [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.
Petrified
"Big Ziggy played up front on his own and I think he bullied them," added Gardner. "They were petrified of him, midfielders were running off big Ziggy and we caused them problems.
"Bow [Lee Bowyer] should have had a penalty in the first half, I got took out as well and big Ziggy nearly scored again.
"All the lads from Fossie up to Ziggy throughout the team we deserved the trophy.
"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."
Gardner also had words of praise for Blues boss Alex McLeish for inspiring the team to their Wembley success.
"He has been brilliant to us he is a players' manager and the speech he gave before the game and at half-time was class," added Gardner.
