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Andrey Arshavin Tips Chelsea To Reclaim Top Spot From Arsenal
Russian warns team-mates not to get too cosy...
22-Jan-2010 6:40:00 AM
By Mick Maguire
Arsenal may have gone top of the Premier League with their 4-2 win over Bolton Wanderers, but Andrey Arshavin expects Chelsea - who have a game in hand - to reclaim the throne instantly.
"I think that Chelsea still top the table. They have not played their game yet. Let's see what happens then," the Russian star said in The Daily Mail.
The Gunners were forced to come from two goals down to defeat Owen Coyle's fired-up charges on Wednesday, and Arshavin compared it to the 2-2 home draw against Everton earlier this month.
"We began not quite right, didn’t have enough power from the start and we paid for this," he said.
"On the other hand, it’s good that we managed to score once at the end of the first half. It’s much better to go on a break when the score is 1-2 than when it’s 0-2."
Arsene Wenger's men romped home in the second half with goals from Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Vermaelen and Arshavin himself, who insisted that there was no feeling of surprise among the squad at the sudden turnaround.
"We were definitely not in a state of shock," he said.
"It was an unpleasant situation we put ourselves in. The more important thing is that we were able to deal with this problem.
"In the second half we tried to play our own football from the start, our attacks and combinations turned out well.
"I am glad that we showed our character and were able to score exactly the right number of goals for the victory."
Arsenal will do battle with Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in their next four league outings, and Arshavin concluded: "We have to get maximum points from these games."
For more Arsenal news, visit the Arsenal team page!
"I think that Chelsea still top the table. They have not played their game yet. Let's see what happens then," the Russian star said in The Daily Mail.
The Gunners were forced to come from two goals down to defeat Owen Coyle's fired-up charges on Wednesday, and Arshavin compared it to the 2-2 home draw against Everton earlier this month.
"We began not quite right, didn’t have enough power from the start and we paid for this," he said.
"On the other hand, it’s good that we managed to score once at the end of the first half. It’s much better to go on a break when the score is 1-2 than when it’s 0-2."
Arsene Wenger's men romped home in the second half with goals from Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Vermaelen and Arshavin himself, who insisted that there was no feeling of surprise among the squad at the sudden turnaround.
"We were definitely not in a state of shock," he said.
"It was an unpleasant situation we put ourselves in. The more important thing is that we were able to deal with this problem.
"In the second half we tried to play our own football from the start, our attacks and combinations turned out well.
"I am glad that we showed our character and were able to score exactly the right number of goals for the victory."
Arsenal will do battle with Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in their next four league outings, and Arshavin concluded: "We have to get maximum points from these games."
For more Arsenal news, visit the Arsenal team page!
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