Van Persie 39       Zigic 28

                                                                Martins 89

Arsenal almost literally threw away the Carling Cup final at Wembley when a late defensive disaster gifted on-loan Birmingham City substitute Obafemi Martins a dramatic 89^th-minute winner.

Gunners centre-back Laurent Koscielny aborted an attempted clearance of a Nikola Zigic knock-down which distracted keeper Wojciecb Szczesny who parried the ball to the waiting Martins eight yards from an unguarded goal.

For much of the second half of a thrilling final, Arsenal looked likely winners. But they rode their luck in the opening period.

In only the second minute, Szczesny upended Birmingham’s goalbound Lee Bowyer and escaped a possible red card as Bowyer was, incorrectly, flagged offside.

But the Blues deservedly went ahead on 28 minutes, Zigic glancing a back-header past Szczesny from six yards after Roger Johnson headed a corner goalwards.

Robin Van Persie equalised on 39 minutes with a flying volley from Andrei Arshavin’s cross after Jack Wilshere’s 20-yard left-foot drive thumped the crossbar.

Blues’ Keith Fahey struck the inside of the post with a 20-yard right-foot drive on 57 minutes.

But Blues keeper Ben Foster, superb throughout, made half-a-dozen saves, the best denying Nicklas Bendtner and Samir Nasri. And exhausted Birmingham hung on to allow Martins to grab victory.