Walcott: Arshavin can be as good as Messi

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Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
14 Aug	3:00 PM	P	Liverpool (A)	1	1	Draw

Theo Walcott has heaped praise on his team-mate Andrei Arshavin, believing the Russian is up there with the best players in the world on his day.

Sadly, it hasn't been his day for a while, but the England international was keen to talk up Andrei's talents when supposedly talking to a Russian newspaper.

Walcott spoke about Arshavin's four-goal masterclass at Anfield two seasons ago, and says he is very much a player he would like to emulate one day.

He said: "Andrei is a fantastic player. You remember the four goals against Liverpool.

"That was the first time in my life that at Anfield, where every team is under huge pressure, I saw a player score four times.

"On that night in Liverpool, Andrei was on the same level as Messi and Rooney - and for me they are the two best players in the world.

"His game is such that it's impossible to just judge him by the amount of goals or assists he gets. He's so unpredictable - he's one of those great players who is capable of making one move that has the whole stadium on their feet.

"Arshavin is a great artist on the pitch and the team very quickly noticed it. When you train alongside Andrei and you see what he can do, you want to keep up with him."

Walcott also told the Russian press that injuries are the main reason Arsenal have failed to win a trophy in recent years.

But the 21-year-old also believes it's time for the Gunners to put results before pretty football in terms of importance, saying: "Unfortunately, in the last few seasons, the team has been dogged by injuries and we haven't been able to play our best team very often.

"This, I think, is one of the main reasons why Arsenal haven't won trophies. We owe the fans titles and playing beautiful football is no longer enough.

"There are times when it is better to win 1-0 and forget about the quality of the game, rather than play elegantly and lose.

"I don't want to talk about it too much because the main thing is to play rather than talk. But I think we should be more aggressive in matches among the Premier League Big Four."

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