Arshavin Goes to Arsenal Finally!

Arsenal have finally completed the signing of Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg, the English Premier League club announced on Tuesday.

Arshavin, 27, signed a long-term (believed to be three-and-a-half-year) contract with the north London club on Monday, transfer deadline day, after the two clubs agreed terms.

Confirmation of the move was held up however until the Premier League was finally able to ratify the deal on Tuesday afternoon.

The exact amount paid by Arsenal is subject to dispute with sources at the club quoting a figure of around 12 million pounds while Zenit claim the deal was worth more than 16 million pounds to them.

If the Russian version of events proves to be true, Arshavin will be the club's most expensive signing.

The 41-cap international will be available to play in Sunday's north London derby at Tottenham.

But with the Russian domestic season having finished in November, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger may prefer to give his latest recruit more time to recover full match fitness.

Arshavin helped Zenit win the UEFA Cup last season and, with a win over Manchester United, the European Super Cup last August. He scored twice for Russia in three matches at Euro 2008, where he was named in the team of the tournament.

Wenger said he had admired Arshavin for a long time. "He is a versatile player with great experience, who will add real quality to our squad. Andrei is an exciting impact player with a huge amount of ability and has been an influential force with both Zenit St Petersburg and the Russian national team in recent seasons."

Arshavin added: "I am so happy to be joining Arsenal. They are one of the leading football clubs in the world, with a group of fantastic young players and a great manager. I am looking forward to making the Arsenal supporters happy and helping this great club win trophies."

Arshavin is not eligible to play for Arsenal in the Champions League this season as he played for Zenit in the group stage. The Russian will wear the number 23 shirt at his new club.

Liverpool beats Everton at the third time

Fernando Torres has told Everton they will face a more confident Liverpool side than at any time this season when the Merseyside rivals meet for the third time in 16 days on Wednesday.

After defeating Chelsea on Sunday to stay in the title race, Liverpool must overcome Everton at Goodison Park if Rafa Benitez's side are to keep alive their dream of a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble.

Having drawn 1-1 at Anfield, the city rivals meet in an FA Cup fourth round replay to decide who faces Aston Villa or Doncaster Rovers in the last 16.

Torres ended his four month Premier League goal drought by scoring both goals as Liverpool moved to within two points of leaders Manchester United with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday.

And the Spain striker believes that result has brought the dressing room to life after a stuttering spell which threatened to derail Liverpool's season.

Everton also held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw in the league last month, but Torres reckons Liverpool are revitalised after the Chelsea match.

"We knew before we faced Chelsea that we needed to win. We have a lot more confidence now, of course," said Torres, who has netted eight times during an injury-troubled season.

"It's a very long title race," the Spain striker added. "We know that United are at the top of the table at the moment but we have time and are going to fight until the end.

"It brings us closer than before, and we know that we still have a chance."

Torres is expected to start at Goodison Park, where he scored twice on his last visit in the league in September.

Benitez could also recall Yossi Benayoun to the starting line-up after the Israel international's impressive substitute performance against Chelsea.

But Robbie Keane won't feature after becoming an increasingly marginal figure at Anfield.

After weeks of speculation about his future, the Republic of Ireland striker returned to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday for several million pounds less than the 20 million pounds the Londoners sold him to Liverpool for in July.

With a league game at Portsmouth this Saturday to take into account, Benitez could also include Daniel Agger or Sami Hyypia in the centre of defence.

Long-serving Hyypia is due to be included in Benitez's Champions League squad list.

The Finland international has not featured in Europe so far this season, but Benitez has confirmed that he will be part of the 25-man pool of players for the knockout stages of the competition where Liverpool face Real Madrid in the last 16.

Benitez has been examining his options before deciding on which players will feature and Hyypia takes his place at the expense of right-back Philipp Degen.

Everton have completed the signing of Jo on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season.

But the Brazil international, 21, will not be eligible to face Liverpool after he appeared as a second-half substitute during City's FA Cup third round defeat by Nottingham Forest.

Jo, who scored three times in 12 starts for City after his 18 million pounds move from CSKA Moscow in July, is likely to make his Everton debut in Saturday's league game at home to Bolton.

Everton manager David Moyes is expected to keep faith with the same team for which narrowly lost 1-0 at Manchester United on Saturday, Tim Cahill leading the forward line on his own.

Australia international Cahill, normally a midfielder, has been in excellent form lately, scoring twice in the last four games.

Wednesday's other fourth round replays see an all Premier League clash between strugglers Blackburn and Sunderland and high-flyers Villa take on lower league Doncaster.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest and Derby meet in a Midlands derby clash.

Newcastle hopes for happy ending to season from hell

NEWCASTLE, England, Feb 2, 2009 (AFP) - Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear admits his side need at least 16 more points to be sure of a happy ending to their season from hell.

Kinnear's team are just one point above the relegation zone after Sunday's 1-1 draw against local rivals Sunderland at St James Park and a tense slog for survival lies in wait for the Magpies.

It has been a remarkably bleak season even by Newcastle's often turbulent standards.

Kevin Keegan's departure following a series of rows with Newcastle's directors over the club's transfer policy caused outrage among fans and led to protests against owner Mike Ashley, who has tried in vain to sell up ever since.

Ashley's decision to appoint Joe Kinnear as Keegan's replacement sparked further criticism from fans and the Newcastle manager's widely reported slanging match with journalists soon after his arrival added to the sense of a club in crisis.

After losing Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins, Mark Viduka and Joey Barton to long-term injuries, as well as coping with Shay Given's desire to leave and Charles N'Zogbia's bust-up with team-mate Andy Carroll, Kinnear has had just about enough of the 2008-09 season.

Stopping Sunderland from claiming a first league double in the Tyne-Wear derby for 42 years was a cause of some celebration on Sunday, which only goes to show how far Newcastle have fallen.

Watched by Ashley, who attended his first game for several months, Shola Ameobi smashed home the 69th-minute penalty which cancelled out Djibril Cisse's first half goal.

Now Kinnear has set his players the points target he believes will be enough to avoid a return to the Championship for the first time since 1993.

"I want to get 16, 17 (more) points, forget about this season and start looking for next season with a different attitude and a different team," Kinnear said.

"This has been a struggle from day one since I walked in here. We have been torn to shreds with turmoil, injuries - we have had the lot."

Kinnear hopes to make two signings before the transfer window closes on Monday, although he admitted a move for Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia was rejected by the Reds.

"I have spent most of the last two days trying to get finance and players," he said. "I tried for one centre-half, but got knocked back. Liverpool weren't prepared to let Hyypia out.

"I want to get somebody with experience because of the position we are in. We have a very young back four and I just want somebody who is a good organiser."

Sunderland enjoyed the better of the first half and deservedly took the lead when Cisse collected Dean Whitehead's throughball and beat goalkeeper Steve Harper at the second attempt with the home defence appealing in vain for an offside flag.

However the Magpies responded after the break and got themselves back on terms in controversial circumstances.

Steven Taylor went to ground under Steed Malbranque's challenge as he surged into the penalty area with referee Howard Webb, who had earlier booked Damien Duff for diving inside the box, astonishing the visitors by pointing to the spot.

Ameobi kept his nerve to thump the penalty past Marton Fulop and into the roof of the net.

Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia said: "I don't think Malbranque actually made contact, I think he actually stubbed the ground. But Mr Webb gave it and we can't do anything about it.

"We maybe had the benefit that he didn't send Phil Bardsley off for his rash tackle later on in the game. Overall, I am pleased to come here and get a point."