AP
Arsenal's Theo Walcott celebrates after scoring his second goal during their Premier League match against Birmingham City at St Andrews yesterday. The game ended 2-2.

LONDON (AP):

JAMES MCFADDEN converted an injury-time penalty kick to help Birmingham City draw with Arsenal 2-2 yesterday in a game marred by Eduardo da Silva's broken leg.

After McFadden's free kick had given Birmingham the lead in the 28th minute at St Andrews, Theo Walcott scored twice in five minutes early in the second half.

But McFadden struck again in the fourth minute of injury time after Gael Clichy was judged to have been brought down by Stuart Parnaby.

The Gunners' lead atop the Premier League standings was also cut to three points from five after Manchester United's 5-1 victory at Newcastle where Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo each scored twice.

Eduardo's injury in the third minute overshadowed the Arsenal-Birmingham game. The Brazilian-born Croatia international striker was fouled by Blues defender Martin Taylor who was immediately sent off for the challenge.

Player hospitalised

Eduardo lay on the field for almost eight minutes receiving attention with several Arsenal players walking away and appearing upset at the extent of the injury. The striker was eventually carried off the field, taken straight to an ambulance and to the hospital.

"I think this guy should never play football again," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said of Taylor. "What is he doing on the football pitch? I feel that goes around with the idea for a long time that to stop Arsenal you have to kick Arsenal. I knew that was coming for a long time now.

"The season is over for (Eduardo) and the injury is very, very bad. More than the season is over."

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish defended Taylor.

Protest

"Martin's distraught about the lad's injury," McLeish said. "It's certainly not in Martin Taylor's make-up at all to commit a malicious tackle."

Arsenal captain William Gallas appeared to stage a one-man protest at the end of the game, sitting on the field for several minutes after the other players had left, although it was not clear whether it was aimed at the penalty decision, his teammates' poor defending or the Eduardo injury.

"He was frustrated. He's a winner and sometimes you have to let your frustration out," Wenger said. "He should not have reacted, but he's a winner and he's hugely frustrated. I'm not unhappy with him; I'm unhappy with what happened around (him)."

Having beaten Newcastle 6-0 at home, Manchester United added more woe to Kevin Keegan's team with a 5-1 victory at St. James' Park.

After Rooney had given the Red Devils a 25th-minute lead, Ronaldo added his first goal in the final minute of the first half. The Portugal winger took his league tally to 21 before Rooney added the fourth and then set up the fifth for Louis Saha.

Refreshed

"It was a really good performance, we could have scored a few (more) goals, we had some great chances," Man United manager Alex Ferguson said. "The important thing is that we were refreshed. I think they all did really well."

Fernando Torres scored all three goals in Liverpool's 3-2 victory over Middlesbrough. Rafa Benitez's team, which beat Inter Milan 2-0 in Champions League action on Tuesday, climbed to fourth but is eight points behind third-place Chelsea.

Portsmouth edged Sunderland 1-0 on Jermain Defoe's 69th-minute penalty kick. Wigan beat last-place Derby 2-0 with goals by Paul Scharner and Antonio Valencia and Fulham, next to last, tumbled 1-0 at home to West Ham, when Peruvian midfielder Nolberto Solano scored three minutes from the end.

With only nine points from 27 games, Derby appear doomed and Fulham are still deep in trouble with 19, four short of the safety zone.

Today, Reading host Aston Villa and Bolton are at Blackburn. Chelsea and Tottenham meet in the League Cup final at Wembley.