Against Ipswich, Arshavin picked up two assists. Here is what he said of his own performance,

It wasn't a supermatch for me. But I'm satisfied with the result. I'm glad that I was useful to the squad.

I don't think he could have said it any better even with the help of the best PR agents in the world.

What's the deal with Arshavin's celebration face? It's like a cross between a lizard having an orgasm and a lactose intolerant elephant seal that ate 2 blocks of cheddar cheese. What a mug on that guy.

[101gg]

Not content with allowing a mere Serie A league game upstage the matchup of Europe's two most aesthetically pleasing big teams in the world's greatest club tournament, Andrei Arshavin matched his goal-plus-personality combo if we factor in the competition, dramatic timing (late winner and such), and the celebration sums up his child-like personality oh so well.

I have been away from football and the news for the last few days but yesterday I got the chance to watch the West Brom game once again. I wanted a relook as I'd noticed some moments while watching live that seemed worth analyzing. This article is a quick discussion based on one of these observations.

Currently placed second in EURO 2012 qualifying Group B after five matches played, Russia is expected to qualify for next summer's finals. Led by Arsenal attacker Andrei Arshavin and managed by respected Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, Russia is currently ranked 13th in the world by FIFA and will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Huge disappointment this morning as Robin van Persie has 'clarified' the comments he made about Chelsea and Spain.

Crossing his fingers and trying not to break his hole laughing, he said:

I respect my colleagues of Spain and Chelsea and look forward to playing against them for many years to come.

Russian midfielder Andrei Arshavin has moved quickly to end the rumors linking him with a move away from Arsenal. There have been a plethora of rumors about departing Arsenal players this summer, and with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri heading out the exit door Arshavin is adamant that he will be staying.

Maybe this isn't the Andrei Arshavin you'd like to see in the mornings... / (Credit : Ana Maletski!)

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Video highlights and reaction Match Report

So, a 0-0 draw with Marseille means there's still work to do in the Champions League. Expectations were high after Chelsea but if football has taught us anything down the years it's that highs such as the one Stamford Bridge mean things can feel a little flat afterwards.

Can Arshavin step up to fill vacant Arsenal boots? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Andrei Arshavin has looked a shell of the former player that he looked in his debut season for Arsene Wenger's Arsenal. Since the start of last season, however, his form has taken a downturn and rapidly.

For the vast majority of this season I've been damning Gael Clichy from the pit of my stomach all the way to Hades for his ludicrous interpretation of how to play at left back.

Constantly out of position, easily beaten by anyone who runs at him, never chasing down a ball or closing down a man, I've held him personally responsible for a number of the goals that Arsenal have conceded thus far this season.

Would it explain everything if Arshavin required absolute silence in order to play football? I think the criticism against him is a bit too much. Which is why I made this... I really like Arshavin. He's a great player and I think we're a better squad with him, but not necessarily a starter every match.

Good morning to you and welcome to a brand new week.

Cup football is the order of business again as we switch our sights from FA to Carling and it'll be interesting, having seen some of the players struggle against Leeds, what exactly the manager does on Wednesday night. Will he keep faith and hope that another game so quickly will increase sharpness and see them recapture some form, or will he add a few of the 'first' team in from the start to try and get things back on track?

Apparently when I make fun of an Arsenal player by saying he has a funny celebration face, I'm a terrible, terrible human being. I made this just to show that I'm not.

Here is Andrei Arshavin, The White Knight of Arsenal, using his patented "Two Goals At Once" trick, riding atop his trusty Unicorn steed 'Belyh Faksov', while wielding a lightsaber.

It's back to the bread and butter today as we play our first league game since the soporific 0-0 with City ten days ago.

Since then we've hardly had the kind of confidence boosting results in the cup we would have liked. Momentum is very much an issue for this Arsenal team. You feel that if we really got going we'd take some stopping but we seem unable to go more than a few games at a time without derailing.

I missed the first half an hour of last night's game, scurrying back from football of my own to catch up via Tom's live blogging. At half-time and 0-0, with things not quite clicking I have to admit I was a bit nervy. When we'd got to the hour mark with scoring I was doing my utmost to quash my inner DoomLord.

Arsenal midfielder Andrei Arshavin has lifted the lid on what Arsene Wenger said to his side in the locker room during half time of their Carling Cup semifinal match. The Gunners were struggling to overcome a tricky Ipswich side following their first leg defeat to the Championship side, but they took control of the second leg and now find themselves booking a trip to Wembley.

You know, we could be sitting here this morning in the midst of a massive, massive argument. Was Saha offside? Does the fact Koscielny take a touch play him onside? Do any of us know the offside rule? What precisely makes anyone think Lee Mason is a referee?

The fact is Arsenal made Saha's goal an irrelevance.

Morning all, another day, another step closer to our next game and one further away from Saturday's madness.

As has been quite typical this season we've been bailed out somewhat by those around us. Chelsea's £75m looked money ill-spent yesterday, at least, as Liverpool beat them 1-0 and United's 2-1 defeat to Wolves means that the damage done much less than it might have been.

Currently at the summit of EURO 2012 qualifying Group B after four matches played, Russia is expected to qualify for next summer's finals. Led by Arsenal attacker Andrei Arshavin and managed by respected Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, Russia is currently ranked 12th in the world by FIFA and will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

For years now, soccer experts around the world have marveled at the skill on display every week in the English Premier League from a youthful Arsenal team that exhibited so much potential over the course of several seasons. Their manager, Frenchman Arsene Wenger had always preached skill over power, style over strength, and youth over experience.

Arsenal's victory over Barcelona yesterday was the stuff that dreams are made of. A bit of a rivalry has been developing between the clubs, and Arsenal has now tipped the scales in their favor. It was an epic performance against an equally brilliant challenger, and Arsenal deserve much more praise than anyone outside the Arsenal blogosphere are giving them.

There's no doubt this Arsenal team can frustrate and exhilarate (not always in equal measure) and when faced with a 'big' game we have a tendency to let it slip.

For every Barcelona or Chelsea there's a Sunderland or a Birmingham cup final or Newcastle away. Yesterday was one of those frustrating days in terms of the performance.

So we move reluctantly into the deepest recesses of the interlull; our hands tied, blindfolded we are frog marched into its lair with Platini's pointy rifle prodding at the napes of our necks. Hacks and headline writers are awash with panic and confusion, Arsenal.com forlornly fetches the scraper, rolls its sleeves up and dives into the barrel in search of some filler material for the official website.

As I sit here drinking coffee made all the more delicious by my *boilk* mug, I am now utterly tired of the Interlull.

For all the fear and trepidation, the under performing, and the forthcoming and entirely inevitable collapse which sees us somehow finish 6th, I'd rather that than any more international football nonsense.

Arsenal stud attacking midfielder Samir Nasri, who was excellent in the first half against Manchester United, dribbling around United right back Fabio on more than one occasion, is rated as 50-50 for the Gunners' away match with Stoke this upcoming ... Continue reading →

Morning all,

it's a very quiet one this morning, which is surprising. I mean in the sense that it's taken this long for there to be a quiet one. A couple of pieces of transfer gossip to tide us over though.

Firstly, The Mail says we've made an £8m bid for Christopher Samba who said earlier this month:

Everybody knows that I am an ambitious player.

Morning all,

it's a very quiet one this morning, which is surprising. I mean in the sense that it's taken this long for there to be a quiet one. A couple of pieces of transfer gossip to tide us over though.

Firstly, The Mail says we've made an £8m bid for Christopher Samba who said earlier this month:

Everybody knows that I am an ambitious player.

Morning from quite rainy indeed Dublin.

Some interesting developments regarding Juan Mata to kick us off. According to The Mirror his 'entourage' flew in to London yesterday to discuss a move (is his agent called Ari D'Oro?), while The Mail says we've agreed a fee with Valencia. If true it probably opens the door a little further to Cesc's departure, dependent as it always has been on Barcelona paying the money required.

If Arsenal somehow end up leading 4-0 against Newcastle at half-time in their league opener Saturday evening, they will think twice before taking their minds even slightly away from the St. James' Park pitch.

A stunning second-half collapse proved costly last season as the Gunners lost a hefty four-goal advantage to a Joey Barton brace from the penalty spot as well as a goal each from Leon Best and Cheik Tiote to end the match in a famous 4-4 draw.

Arshavin was his usual outspoken self when he commented on the departure of midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. He has said that the Gunners will have to change their playing style in the wake of the loss of the two players. Arsenal's start to the season has been poor, with the 8-2 loss against [.

Andrei Arshavin's fortunate 40th minute goal against Swansea at the Emirates was enough to claim all 3 points for the Gunners and take a bit of the pressure off manager Arsene Wenger. But watch how Swansea keeper makes a mess of it!

Good to see Olaf Mellberg again, it's been a while. In case you hadn't guessed, I am watching Arsenal vs. Olympiokos on DVR as I write this column. I figured I'd better watch because I need to catch up on all the midweek excitement that I started missing out on yesterday while I was on the road for work.

‘We cannot allow ourselves to indulge in sadness and melancholy'

Andrey Arshavin, December 2010 (after MU away game)

With the departure of Cesc Fabregas and the long-term injury to Jack Wilshere, Arsenal is left with a hole, in more ways than one.

Video highlights and reaction

I can't say a great deal about last night as I haven't seen anything bar the goals but when you look at the team we had out, and the strength of the Bolton side, that was a very decent win. All the goals came in the second half, Frimpong was well and truly robbed by former Arsenal man Fabrice Muamba who went on to open the scoring, but two goals in a couple of minutes ended up sealing the game for Arsenal.

Morning all,

no doubt you've seen yesterday's announcement but to answer a number of questions that have cropped up since:

1 Yes, it will be available to purchase online, via this very website.

2 Yes, I will ship it to [insert your country name here]

3 Yes, there will be an eBook version

4 Yes, it's 99% certain there will be a wider-release paperback edition in the new year because of the fact this first print run is very limited and therefore a bit of a collector's item.

Last week, this column rather took on the personality of a stranger hugging, gurning young gadabout; imploring all fellow dance floor dwellers to "let the beat take you higher, man." With two rather lukewarm results since that mini era of jaw flapping euphoria, it's fair to say this week has been something of a comedown.

Morning all.

There's little point reflecting too much on the City game at this stage. It's done and dusted and we've got to refocus ourselves on the games ahead. It might be a strange thing to say but perhaps the team will take some measure of confidence from the defeat. The last trip to Manchester was traumatic, this time only the odd goal separated us from the most expensively assembled team in football.