Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish was relieved to see striker Nikola Zigic emerge unscathed from a red-card challenge in the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Zigic was caught late on in the game by talented Gunners youngster Jack Wilshere, who was sent off straight away by referee Martin Atkinson.

McLeish said after the game:"Wilshere's was a bad tackle. If he doesn't red card that then I think we pack our bags and go home. Zigic was lucky not to get a badly damaged leg.

"We've had to put up with the Eduardo stuff for the last couple of years every time we play Arsenal.

"On a television programme before the game the interviewer said he's going to go and interview Eduardo on 'that' tackle.

"It's scandalous. Martin Taylor, as we said at the time, is not a dirty player and it was a mistimed tackle that caused terrible damage to Eduardo, but that tackle by Wilshere could have caused Zigic a lot of damage.

"We know that Jack Wilshere is not a dirty player, but it does show that players can mistime in this hurly burly game of football. Everybody has to recognise that."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email