Arsenal: Will Andrei Arshavin Make Good on His Promise to Improve?

It's truly fascinating what good news can do for a man mired in a difficult spell.

This past week, Andrei Arshavin, Arsenal's erstwhile dynamo on the left wing, sealed automatic passage to the European Championships next summer with Russia.

It will be the first time the little winger has played in a major championship since Euro '08, when Russia (thanks largely to Arshavin's exploits) were one of the toasts of the tournament, rolling all the way to the semifinals.

The Russian was in sublime form at the time. He had just won the UEFA Cup with club side Zenit St. Petersburg in May, and had a host of Europe's top clubs chasing his signature.

When he finally signed in January '09 for Arsenal (the move was worth around £15 million), he wasted little time in making an impact for the club. That four-goal performance against Liverpool at Anfield remains firmly ensconced in club legend, access to the memory a mere YouTube click away.

One of the brightest lights for Arsenal toward the close of the '08-09 season, Arshavin wasted little time in picking up right where he'd left off at the start of the next campaign.

I remember picking up an edition of France Football magazine in early October of '09 in which Arshavin was profiled. The reporter had noticed the ubiquity of "Arshavin No. 23" jerseys staring back at him during a game at the Emirates. The Russian's jersey was almost as popular as Cesc Fabregas's. It seemed only a matter of time before he cemented his place as one of the current greats, so convincing were his performances.

Then came a tricky playoff for Russia to seal qualification for World Cup 2010. Having drawn Slovenia, many expected the Russians to pass the test handily. It would prove far more difficult, however, and in the end the Slovenians advanced, somewhat improbably but with performances that fully deserved it.

Arshavin was devastated. Four Four Two magazine reported at the time that Arsene Wenger had noticed just how down in the dumps the little Russian was upon returning from that inglorious spell of international duty.

Perhaps Arshavin had realized that his next crack at a World Cup would come in 2014 Brazil, when he would be 33. Playable, surely, but his best years would be behind him. Every player craves playing in a World Cup finals at their peak, and Arshavin had missed his window.

The mind is a curious thing. Mood swings can make what once seemed mundane unfathomably difficult. Arshavin simply wasn't the same player after the Slovenian slip-up.

He had his moments, to be sure, and would go on to bag 11 goals in 31 appearances for the Gunners in '09-10, but he appeared adrift.

When the goals stopped flowing with such unbridled frequency, that initial aura that had followed his seemingly every move during those first few months with Arsenal—people began questioning his commitment to the cause.

Why didn't he track back more frequently on defense? Why did he give up on broken plays so easily?

2010-11 was no better. Wenger continually rushed to his troubled star's defense, pointing to statistics when critics lambasted the winger.

Six goals and 11 assists in 25 Premier League matches was nothing to be ashamed about, surely, but the numbers appeared to gloss over his overall contribution, which to be quite honest, was quite poor at times. The questions about his overall commitment lingered, and then bloomed into a conflagration.

Going into Sunday's match against Sunderland, Arshavin had managed only one goal in his last 18 matches for Arsenal.

Yet interestingly enough, the match against the Black Cats coincided with another return from international duty for the little Russian. This time, however, the mood that accompanied his return was far more jubilant.

Russia had sealed its qualification to Euro '12. While they are a far cry from the glamor of the World Cup, in which Arshavin has never played, they are certainly no small feat.

Buoyed by that achievement, Arshavin returned a different man. He promised to be better for Arsenal, ESPN Soccernet reported.

''[The Arsenal fans] should expect more from me, of course," Arshavin said. "They should expect some more tricks, goals and unbelievable passes. To be honest, I am still expecting more from me as well.''

Stirring words from a man who desperately seeks re-invigoration. While he began Sunday's match on the bench, his appearance upon 68 minutes marked a concerted shift in temperament.

Arshavin wasted little time in making his first significant contribution, a slaloming run through the heart of the Sunderland defense that saw him eventually fire a left-footed shot just wide of keeper Simon Mignolet's net.

It was the type of industry so prevalent in Arshavin's first months with the club, and so infrequent ever since that dastardly spell after the missed World Cup.

It's one thing to put in 20-plus minutes of solid work against Sunderland at home. On him to continue that run of form, and prove it wasn't just an aberration, as Arsenal launch into upcoming fixtures against Stoke and Chelsea.