EPL ~ Wenger ready to unleash Arshavin on Sunderland
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February 20, 2009
Arsène Wenger ready to unleash Andrey Arshavin on Sunderland
Arshavin is likely to make his debut against Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium
Saturday, 21 February 2009Channel 27: "Live"Arsenal v Sunderland - 11:00 pmArsenal confirmed yesterday that Eduardo da Silva will be sidelined for two weeks with a hamstring injury. The Croatia striker completed a remarkable recovery after breaking a leg and dislocating an ankle by scoring twice against Cardiff City in the FA Cup fourth-round replay on Monday, but his first start for almost a year was cut short in the 67th minute when he left the pitch with a hamstring strain. “What a nightmare,” Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said. “It is a blow because he can score goals. He had shown that on Monday night.”
Eduardo’s misfortune is likely to mean that Andrey Arshavin will make his debut against Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium in the Barclays Premier League tomorrow. Wenger believes that the Russia playmaker, who moved to Arsenal from Zenit St Petersburg for £12 million last month, can transform the club’s season. “It is a statement of intent, but we always have the same intentions and that is to be the best in the world,” Wenger said.
Arshavin’s protracted move from Zenit almost collapsed on the final day of the transfer window and Wenger has revealed that the Russian nearly joined Tottenham Hotspur last summer. “Tottenham were close to signing him, but they didn’t do it in the end because of problems with negotiations,” the manager said. “We have been aware of him for a long time, but basically the transfer lasted a month from the first contact with the player and his agent. The negotiations with Zenit also took a long time.”
The Russian is one of the best players in Europe, but Wenger believes that he saw the best player in the world when he watched Argentina beat France 2-0 last week. “There was an absolute superstar on the pitch and that was Lionel Messi,” Wenger said. “I would pay to watch him because it’s just a pleasure to see him play. I see big comparisons between him and Maradona, although I must say it’s in favour of Messi. Don’t forget he’s still young, the same age as Cesc. We knew about him when he was playing in the same youth team as Cesc, but there was never a chance of getting him because his family was in Barcelona and he was linked with the club.”
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Messi is the best player in the world....
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Gd idea after all ?