Premier League cult hero who cost Liverpool title looks unrecognisable swigging pints

Even the most eagle-eyed of Arsenal fans might have struggled to recognise the man that once had them in dreamland against Liverpool.

Andrey Arshavin etched himself into Gunners folklore thanks his four-goal haul at Anfield back in 2009 - denting Liverpool's title ambitions as they watched bitter rivals Manchester United disappear into the horizon to claim yet another top flight crown.

The image of him shushing the Anfield crowd is fondly remembered in the red half of north London - even though they only returned to the capital with a single point after an epic game that ended 4-4 and left Rafael Benitez's side unable to catch Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

Arshavin, now 44, was recently snapped swigging a pint with a Champions League cap and channelling his inner Clark Kent to conceal his identity with some glasses.

"Nahh no way that's Arshavin," one fan responded. While a second replied: "Don't tell me that's Arshavin!"

"It's sad he's so forgotten. No one knows him," a third sighed. As a fourth fumed: "Anyone asking Grok who that is needs to have a think..."

And another added: "Is that Arshavin?? Looks like Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys lost some weight!"

Arshavin left Arsenal in 2013, returning to Russia with Zenit Saint Petersburg - he would also turn out for Kuban Krasnodar in his homeland before hanging up his boots with Kazakh outfit Kairat.

However, that evening under the Anfield lights will always define his career. "It's difficult to remember how I felt after each goal I scored," Arshavin told The Athletic in 2024.

"Looking back at the photos, I guess I was thinking something fantastic was happening. I'd scored three, then four.

"Basically one came right after the other. I couldn't believe we were in Liverpool, I was scoring all these goals, and at the time we were also beating Liverpool."