Arshavin alarmed by form

Misfiring Arsenal star Andrey Arshavin admits he does not know how to recapture his best form.

Arsenal schemer at a loss to explain recent performances

Misfiring Arsenal star Andrey Arshavin admits he does not know how to recapture his best form. The Russia international has failed to hit the heights this term and has not been a regular in Arsene Wenger's starting XI in recent weeks. Arshavin has also come under fire from some Arsenal fans for his below-par performances and he concedes his confidence has been hit by his dip in form. He is quoted as saying in The Sun: "Now when I get the ball, I begin to think, 'Should I try and trick an opponent? Or if I do, will I lose the ball? And what if I make a pass? Won't they think that I am trying to get rid of the ball?' "I am afraid of taking the initiative. When such thoughts appear, your final decision, as a rule, turns out to be wrong. And you waste a lot of opportunities. "That was happening to me in recent matches."

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The 29-year-old admits he has no problem in being dropped from the side and has vowed to work hard in training to find his form again. "I do not have enough acceleration. From the very start of this season I felt I'm fast enough only in separate episodes," added Arshavin. "The reason? I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting old. "Naturally, I'd like to be on the pitch in every game - but currently the boys who play in my position, Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott, look very good. They're really in good shape and that's why they're playing. "To get back my place in the starting XI, I need to regain my best form. All I can do is work in training. There are no other recipes for building up your form."