Russian international Andrei Arshavin (pictured center) grabbed the top spot in the FTBL rating of best Russian players after his first goal in the English Premier League. The former Zenith St.Petersburg star has 107.70 points, with an excellent chance to boost that rating in the coming games.

Arshavin earned a whooping 25.00 points in the Gunners’ 4:0 rout of Blackburn, after scoring his first goal for his new team. The Russian international could have earned even more points, when it appeared at the 2nd minute that he had opened the score in the game. Many reporters first attributed the goal to Arshavin, before finally naming Blackburn’s Andre Oijer as responsible for the own goal. The confusion was the reason behind the swings in the FTBL rating.

“There were a whole two deflections at the same time,” said Arshavin after the game. “I took the shot on my body, one of the Blackburn defenders tried to stop me and his shot was deflected by another one, from whom the ball ended into the net. I was certain that the goal, in the end, will not be attributed to me.”

Arshavin’s uncontested goal came in the 65th minute, a real Jewell in the game. It was a classical Arshavin goal: he strolled through the left side straight to the goal, ignored the defenders, and lifted the ball under the roof of the net.

“This goal is similar to the two goals against the Macedonians in the Euro-2008 qualifier,” Arshavin acknowledged after the game.

Arshavin was named man of the match for the Gunners, while his new team caught up with Aston Villa and is now 4th in the overall standings. But Arshavin is set to miss the next game against Hull City in English Cup action due to injury.