Arsenal: Why Has Andrey Arshavin's Form Deserted Him?

Andrey Arshavin was introduced to a chorus of boos from the stands to come on for a rampant Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on Sunday. He took to the field  in the midst of an enthralling second half comeback, which had seen Robin van Persie equalize, and Manchester United struggle to contain a resurgent Arsenal.

Unfortunately, Arshavin promptly confirmed the crowd's worst opinions of him with a defensive misstep which allowed Danny Welbeck to net United's winning goal. The final whistle was blown and Arshavin trudged sullenly off the field, an untouchable pariah, and perhaps an all-too-convenient scapegoat for many of the Gunner's current woes.

But, it wasn't always this way between Arshavin and Arsenal supporters. There was a palpable excitement about Andrey Arshavin when he was first brought to the Emirates three years ago for a club record transfer fee of 15 million pounds.

The elf-like attacker first caught the world's attention the previous summer during the European Championships when he'd played a key role in Russia's shocking elimination of a Netherlands side that seemed to be rampaging its way toward the final.

In nine seasons with Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg, Arshavin had registered a respectable tally of 76 goals and 109 assists in 308 appearances. He'd also scored 15 goals for his national team in the five years leading up to his transfer to Arsenal.

Arshavin got out of the gate strongly in North London. In his first season with the Gunners he regularly displayed the kind of form he'd exhibited during the Euros, notching up six goals and nine assists in 15 appearances for the club.

With his sleepy demeanor, shaggy bedhead of hair and quizzical facial expressions, the diminutive Russian rapidly became a fan favorite at the Emirates. While he may never have looked like the most natural of athletes, his slight build and casual demeanor belied an explosive ability to cut through defenses and fire shots on target from seemingly out of nowhere.

In his second season at Arsenal, Arshavin more than doubled the number of appearances and made good on those opportunities by doubling his goal tally to 12.  However, it was during his second season with Arsenal that fans and commentators began to increasingly take note of the Russian's apparent apathy in regard to his defensive duties.

Arshavin didn't like to track back, and when he did it seemed as if he were simply going through the motions, rather than trying to make tackles and win the ball. However, with 12 goals in the bag, including two in the Champions League, he was still regarded as a prize asset at season's end.

But, if you looked beyond the scope of the Gunners and the EPL, signs of Arshavin's decline were beginning to creep in. Most notably, Russia's failure to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa and the fact that while Arshavin scored five international goals in 2008, he only scored one in 2009. He has failed to score any since then.

In the 2010-2011 season with Arsenal, Arshavin netted 10 goals in 52 appearances and tallied 17 total assists. He also showed he still had a knack for coming up with big plays in crucial games,  like his vital goal in the Gunner's season-cresting Champions League win over Barcelona. He was still in good books with the fans throughout the early part of the season, winning four Man of the Match awards between July of 2010 and February of 2011.

However, as the Gunner's season began to go off the rails, Arshavin's form went into even sharper decline. The game changing moments became fewer and farther between, and his casual on-pitch manner began to resemble apathy.

Gradually, fans and commentators began to view him as more of potential liability than a potential match-winner. After the disappointing end to the Gunner's season, there was widespread speculation that he would be sold during the summer transfer window.

But, when the new season began, Arshavin remained an Arsenal player even though Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri did not. By now Arshavin's apathetic, lackluster performances had become the rule rather than the exception. But, thanks to a blunder by Swansea keeper Michel Vorm, he has able to net the vital goal that gave the Gunner's their first EPL win of the current season, and halted their late summer plummet.

However, since that time Arshavin has failed to score in the EPL. And while he did provide a vital assist for Robin van Persie's recent match-winning strike against Everton, the once-mercurial Russian has largely become an object of derision and scorn amongst the Emirates faithful.

What's puzzling is just why Arshavin's performances have gone so far south following such a bright start at Arsenal. The player is still only 30 and has suffered no traumatic injury to battle back from like his teammate Aaron Ramsey. 

With the crowd, and even team captain van Persie, seemingly making visible protestations at his introduction into Sunday's match, it appears the Russian's credit line amongst Arsenal supporters has evaporated along with his form. Worse than that, Arsene Wenger's continued faith in such a player who has ranged from inconsistent to incompetent, has cast doubts on his judgement and his very ability to manage the club.

The big question that remains— along with why Arshavin's form has deserted him— is, if Arsenal decides it's time to sell him, how many clubs are going to line up to sign a player who is a wild card at best and an accident waiting to happen at worst?