Arshavin backed by Wenger

Although the Russian forward has shown glimpses of his brilliance, he has failed to live up to expectations since his £15million move from Zenit St Petersburg in January 2009. The 30-year-old has struggled to reproduce the form that saw him score all four goals in Arsenal's famous 4-4 draw at Liverpool, but Wenger insists he has no regrets over signing him. Arshavin was part of an Arsenal forward line that was frustrated by a stubborn Marseille defence in the Champions League on Wednesday night, before his replacement Aaron Ramsey grabbed the game's only goal in stoppage time. And while Wenger admits Arshavin has been through bad spells at the Emirates, the Frenchman praised his attitude and believes the criticism is unjust. "You would not be surprised that I disagree with that," he told the club's official website. "That is opinion. I think he has been great for us and he will still be great in the coming months. "He is a great player and you have to give him credit for that. He stands up for his performances. I personally respect him highly and I think he's a great player. "He works through it (poor form) by keeping his focus in training and what he does well. I like Andrey because he has a great attitude. "It was a difficult game for him on Wednesday and for all the players who played up front because Marseille defended, they played for a point. "There was not a lot of space for the strikers and as long as you don't find an opening they will not come out, and that is what happened in the game."