Arshavin Central To Arsenal Win: Should It Be Permanent?

Just when you thought the little Russian was all talk and no action, he comes up with a performance that reminds you just why Wenger broke tradition and splashed the cash to get him.

The quality of his performance was even more ironic when you consider the fact that he was asking for a taller center forward to be brought in by Wenger in the transfer window. Does this mean that he was wrong and Wenger should instead stick to playing short players in that position?

The answer for me is no. Arshavin did indeed play very well in the lone striker role today with his movement, technique, and intelligence, making up for his extreme lack of physical presence.

Arsenal still had a problem though when it came to playing crosses into the box, and at times I found myself wondering, "why bother?" as there seemed to be no chance at all of any Arsenal players getting on the end of any of them. The Russian also faded in the second half, and this is another problem: he is simply not fit enough to fulfill this role from a game-to-game basis.

His performance did, however, show that he is woefully wasted out on the wings. If Wenger wants to get the best out of the Russian, then he must find a way to play him in the center.

Arshavin has amazing off-the ball movement, a great first touch that helps him turn easily, and a knack for playing sumptuous through balls. With all these attributes he would be a dream for any of Arsenal's other strikers to play with. Imagine Vela, Eduardo or Bendtner having the benefit of having the Russian tee them up in that delightful way of his.

The 4-3-3 formation has its obvious benefits, but a potential match-winner is wasted in this formation, and I would really like to see Arshavin given a consistent run in his natural position: playing in the hole and making the entire team tick.

Have your say; post your comments and share your ideas for what formations you think would help get the best out of Arsenal's russian magician.