[GreatBriton]

One of the most bizaare situations that has ever happened in a football game happened yesterday at Highbury - when Arsenal's Robert Pires went to take a penalty - but instead of the ball flying towards the net, it moved only about 2 inches, and the referee then awarded Manchester City a free kick because Pires touched the ball twice.

Instead of trying to take the penalty as normal, Pires attempted to pass the ball to Henry (and that's allowed in a penalty), who would then kick to goal - but the ball hardly moved, his foot accidentally scraping the top of the ball.

Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City.



Piress apologises for penalty blunder
023rd October 2005



Robert Pires has apologised to Arsene Wenger for the bizarre penalty miss that could have proved costly for Arsenal against Manchester City.

The Gunners won 1-0 thanks to Pires' 60th-minute spot-kick - but it was his second attempt from 12 yards that was the talking point. Instead of shooting when awarded a second penalty in the 73rd minute, Pires attempted to pass to Thierry Henry but the trick backfired when referee Mike Riley awarded City a free-kick as he believed the French winger had touched the ball twice - and the ball hardly moved.

"Robert came to me after the game, telling me he was sorry and that he had made a big mistake," Wenger said. "But as a manager, you have to live with these things. My reaction after the incident was one of surprise."

He added: "Maybe if Robert had missed the first penalty, you could have understood had he tried to pass the ball as he would have been shaky. But he should have been full of confidence after smashing in the first penalty so marvellously."

Wenger's opposite number Stuart Pearce stopped short of accusing Arsenal of presumptuousness for their unconventional penalty - but admitted he had been unhappy with the award of the first spot-kick.

With the score at 0-0, Riley ruled in Arsenal's favour when Henry - making his first Arsenal start since August 24 after recovering from a groin injury - tumbled under the challenge of City goalkeeper David James.

Pires struck that penalty perfectly, and Pearce said afterwards: "It looked like Thierry Henry dived over David James' arms and my players are disappointed - but Henry is a clever player. We will go with the referee on that one, because he made an honest decision."

dailymail.co.uk.
----------------------------------

I saw Henry being interviewed after the game, and he couldn't stop laughing when trying to talk about the incident.

But he wouldn't have been laughing if Manchester City equalised afterwards.

[xerxes]

No he wouldn't have. That was the saddest thing I've seen in a long time.