Recent Arsenal signing, Andrei Arshavin, is seen by boss Arsene Wenger as the player needed to create and take goalscoring chances. "He can integrate well our combination game, he can move very well, he is very mobile so that is something we work on as well," said Wenger.

"He is a clever passer of the ball and that is something you need in every big team to open teams up."

Wenger, though, warned against placing too much expectation on the Russian as an instant fix.

"You have to give everybody who comes in time to adapt, to adjust," said the Arsenal boss.

"I know him quite well on his vision, his passing ability, his quick brain. That is something which is very important in the modern game."

Wenger added: "He has personality, he has a strong character.

"The handicap he has at the moment is that he is not completely fit physically, but all the rest should be quite quick.

"Anyway, we will take the needed time.

"We will not put him under pressure, if he needs a bit longer he takes a bit longer.

"At the moment we have many players in that area injured like [Cesc] Fabregas, like [Tomas] Rosicky, like [Theo] Walcott, so there is a position to take as a creative midfielder."