Even the most eagle-eyed of Arsenal fans might have struggled to recognise the man that once had them in dreamland against Liverpool.
Andrey Arshavin etched himself into Gunners folklore thanks his four-goal haul at Anfield back in 2009 - denting Liverpool's title ambitions as they watched bitter rivals Manchester United disappear into the horizon to claim yet another top flight crown.
The image of him shushing the Anfield crowd is fondly remembered in the red half of north London - even though they only returned to the capital with a single point after an epic game that ended 4-4 and left Rafael Benitez's side unable to catch Sir Alex Ferguson's men.
Arshavin, now 44, was recently snapped swigging a pint with a Champions League cap and channelling his inner Clark Kent to conceal his identity with some glasses.
"Nahh no way that's Arshavin," one fan responded. While a second replied: "Don't tell me that's Arshavin!"
"It's sad he's so forgotten. No one knows him," a third sighed. As a fourth fumed: "Anyone asking Grok who that is needs to have a think..."
And another added: "Is that Arshavin?? Looks like Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys lost some weight!"
Arshavin left Arsenal in 2013, returning to Russia with Zenit Saint Petersburg - he would also turn out for Kuban Krasnodar in his homeland before hanging up his boots with Kazakh outfit Kairat.
However, that evening under the Anfield lights will always define his career. "It's difficult to remember how I felt after each goal I scored," Arshavin told The Athletic in 2024.
"Looking back at the photos, I guess I was thinking something fantastic was happening. I'd scored three, then four.
"Basically one came right after the other. I couldn't believe we were in Liverpool, I was scoring all these goals, and at the time we were also beating Liverpool."
Liverpool have rejected a €67.5 million (£58.6m) bid from Bayern Munich to sign forward Luis Díaz, a source told ESPN.Díaz enjoyed the most productive season of his Liverpool career last term, scoring 17 goals in all competitions and helping Arne Slot's side to the Premier League title.The 28-year-old has two years left on his contract and has been linked with a move away from...
Ben Doak could leave Liverpool this summer if their £25m valuation is metNottingham Forest have joined the race for Ben Doak after registering their interest in the Liverpool teenager. Doak was a revelation on loan at Middlesbrough last season, scoring three goals and racking up seven assists in the Championship. And his performances have caught the attention of Forest, who have cash to burn ...
Reports from Portugal suggest Viktor Gyokeres' long floated move from Sporting CP to Arsenal could be in danger of completely collapsing.Parties cannot align terms for add-ons in deal Initial fee of €70m + €10m of conditional agreed Long-running saga continues to drag onWHAT HAPPENED?A report by Portuguese newspaper Record, suggests the summer's longest-running transfer saga shows no s...
Former Liverpool forward Carroll joins sixth-tier side in EnglandFormer Liverpool and Newcastle striker Andy Carroll has officially joined Dagenham & Redbridge in the National League South, which lies in the sixth-tier in England.Fenerbahce eye PSG duo after securing Duran and BrownAccording to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Fenerbahce are in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over deals for Mar...
Noni Madueke is set to move to ArsenalChelsea starlet Noni Madueke is set to make the jump from Chelsea to Arsenal.Madueke, 23, will play no part in Chelsea's bid to win the Club World Cup on Sunday with Enzo Maresca confirming Madueke had been allowed to leave the camp."Noni is in contact with the new club," he told a press conference. "I guess he is going to be (announced) in the next hours...I ...
The two clubs were close to doing business last summer - could that be the same case this time around?Alexander Isak has been linked to a Newcastle exitLiverpool and Newcastle United could find themselves tangled up in a transfer tug-of-war for the second consecutive summer. Rewind 12 months and the pair were reportedly close to agreeing a move that would’ve seen two big-name stars transfer ...
Christian Norgaard will be joined by his wife Josefine in north LondonChristian Norgaard has completed his move to Arsenal from Brentford as he goes in search of trophies and Champions League football.But the 31-year-old midfielder is already winning at life, judging by his stunning wife Josefine. Norgaard has switched west London for N5, where he will be supported by his partner and their three s...
DILETTA LEOTTA has stunned fans after going braless in a daring dress while exploring New York.The stunning DAZN presenter has a huge fan base on social media with 9.2million followers on Instagram.Diletta Leotta went braless in this stunning silver dressShe posed for a picture in front of the New York skylineShe also went exploring in the US cityShe wore a cropped polo shirt at a road crossinDile...
Colombian model Valentina Rueda began dating the striker this year.Valentina Rueda once went viral thanks to her 'UFO' footageValentina works as a modelShe is dating Chelsea star Joao FelixJust a few months ago she shot to fame thanks to her romance pursuit, appearing on the Netflix dating show Too Hot To Handle.She had first taste of the limelight in 2023 however, after capturing strange footage ...
Stunning Dutch model Laura Celia Valk, who was once linked to Jude Bellingham, stole the show at Wimbledon as she put on a leggy display at the All England Lawn finalsLaura Celia Valk stunned at WimbledonDutch model Laura Celia Valk put on a stunning display at Wimbledon as she put on a leggy display at the All England Lawn finals.Like everyone else over the weekend, Laura was engrossed in the Wim...
- 1 FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Fixture schedule, group standings, knockout round, tickets, format & everything you need to know
- 2 Brooklyn Beckham's ex inspires Palmer as Chelsea crush PSG
- 3 Spurs get huge lift in Morgan Gibbs-White row
- 4 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 5 Rashford becomes new club's 'priority target'
- 6 Meet Christian Norgaard's gorgeous wife
- 7 Noni Madueke parties at Wireless with Jadon Sancho
- 8 Chelsea's wage offer to Jadon Sancho revealed
- 9 Xabi Alonso sends warning to Real Madrid stars after PSG thrashing
- 10 Erling Haaland rides banana boat on Ibiza holiday