Arshavin Struggling for Form

Andrei Arshavin was given a rare chance by Arsene Wenger in the match against Fulham, but the Russian failed to live up to the hopes once again. Andrei Arshavin managed to perform poorly throughout the match, which finished 1-1. It was brought to an end the winning run Arsenal have been experiencing in recent weeks. Thomas Vermaelen scored an own goal to give Fulham the lead, but he managed to rectify his mistake by scoring at the other end late on. The dropped two points all but leaves Arsenal’s hopes of challenging for the Champions League qualification in doubt once again.

This is because of the fact that Chelsea and Tottenham managed to win their matches. Both the London clubs are now considered as the main rivals for the Champions League positions. It would leave Arsenal to be satisfied with the Europa League competition, which is something that has not happened for many years now. Andre Arshavin has been extremely poor in the recent weeks. However, Arsene Wenger trusted him and give him the opportunity to perform in the match against Fulham. Arshavin prefers to play centrally, but Wenger has used him as a winger. Even though he performed exceptionally well during the early part of his Arsenal career, it has always been a position that has been uncomfortable for him.

However, Arsene Wenger refused to criticise the Russian for his poor performance. “I believe it is difficult for a player when he doesn’t play regularly to be absolutely exceptional. I don’t think he had a bad game but I think he suffered a little bit from the fact we were not as sharp as we might have been. Your confidence is not at the top as well when you don’t play for one month. You need to play regularly,” Wenger said