Arshavin finally set for Gunners debut

MY TURN NOW . . . Andrey Arshavin will be hoping to have a similar impact on his debut that Eduardo, right, had in his return game on Monday night


AFTER Eduardo's triumphant return on Monday, all eyes are now on the man who's name has been on every Arsenal fans lips since Christmas.

Until now, Andrey Arshavin has been kept under wraps by Arsene Wenger. The £15m signing from Zenit St Petersburg was unfit to play Tottenham and ineligible to face Cardiff on Monday night.

But now against Sunderland on Saturday, the most eagerly anticipated Arsenal debut since Theo Walcott first pulled on the red and white shirt three years ago should finally go ahead.

Arshavin is unlikely to play the full match against the Mackems, but he will certainly be in the squad and, should Arsenal find themselves ahead in the second half, is bound to get a run-out.

If he does, it will be another big step in the right direction for Wenger and, with Walcott and Cesc Fabregas to return before May, the turbulence that has rocked great chunks of Arsenal's season should continue to ease.

That turbulence was approaching its worst when these two sides last met in October, when Fabregas' last-minute header salvaged a point for the Gunners at the Stadium of Light.

Roy Keane was sacked as Sunderland manager barely a month later as the team slipped down the league, but under new boss Ricky Sbragia, the Wearsiders have enjoyed a rapid change in fortunes.

Sitting comfortably in 11th, the Mackems have takens seven points from their last three games and will be confident of a mid-table finish.

And while Arshavin hopes to make his Arsenal bow on Saturday, Sunderland's latest signing has also declared himself fit and ready for the trip to north London.

Tal Ben-Haim moved north from Manchester City two weeks ago in a loan deal that will keep him at the Stadium of Light until the end of the season.

The former Chelsea and Bolton Wanderers centre-back will join a rapidly improving defence and the Israeli international believes Sunderland can disrupt the Gunners again.

"The team is going in the right direction and hopefully we can continue that at Arsenal," he said.

"Of course Arsenal is a difficult game but you never know in football."

Ben-Haim joins a back line in top form, with Anton Ferdinand and Danny Collins having formed a strong partnership.

At the other end of the pitch Djibril Cisse and Kenwyne Jones have hit 19 goals between them this season.

But the focus will be on Arshavin on Saturday and, with Arsenal's feel-good factor returning, this should be three more important points.