Arshavin defiant: Arsenal not about to give up on title battle

Arsenal ace Andrey Arshavin insists their defeat to Chelsea has not ended their title hopes.

A crushing 3-0 home defeat by Chelsea on Sunday left the Gunners 11 points behind the Blues, albeit with a game in hand.

But Arshavin insists: "We haven't stopped fighting for the championship. I think that if we manage to win the next couple of games, then everything will fall into place. After all, Chelsea can stumble, too. But we have to win ourselves."

Didier Drogba was the difference between the two sides, scoring a sublime double split by a Thomas Vermaelen own goal, but Arshavin believes the scoreline did not reflect the balance of the game.

"I think that we were playing our game but Chelsea scored," he said. "The initiative was on our side but we were unable to take our chances.

"As for Chelsea, they, on the contrary, managed to score three times. They organized the game this way: they hardly tried to play on the counter-attack, they just tried to use their chances in the attack.

"Unfortunately, they managed to score twice at the end of the first half, but it didn't break us down. We continued to play our football, tried to create some chances in their half of the pitch."

Arsenal to beat Real Madrid, Barcelona for Mexican whiz Galvan

Arsenal are on the brink of landing Cruz Azul starlet Martín Luis Galván Romo.

The Gunners are ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the chase for the Mexican teenager, according to South American reports.

Mexico U17 international striker Galvan made his senior debut for Cruz Azul as a 14 year-old and is said to be just days away from signing for Arsenal.

Arsenal's Nasri delighted with comeback performance

Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri was delighted with his playing return in Tuesday's reserves clash with Wolves.

The French international has not played this season after breaking his leg at Arsenal's pre-season training in Austria.

But he is now fully recovered and is looking to build up his fitness with a view to returning in a few weeks' time.

"I feel good," he told the club's official website.

"I was a little bit tired at the end of the first half but I am so happy to be back on the pitch. It has been three months I was injured so I am really glad to be back.

"It has been difficult but I was always looking forward for a speedy recovery. I knew it would be hard but everyone was behind me and helping me so I am okay.

"I don't know if I am ready yet for the first team. I need to play because nothing can replace the games. So I work well with [fitness coach] Tony Colbert and now after one or two games I will be ready to come back to the first team.

"It was the first serious injury I have had. But I am really happy, I had a quick recovery and everything is fine now."

Arsenal marketing chief Kinnear: Overseas tours down to Wenger

Arsenal’s UK head of marketing, Angus Kinnear, says they remain sensitive to manager Arsene Wenger's reluctance to tour overseas.

In conversation with sportspromedia.com, Kinnear says Wenger would never be forced to take his squad for a lucrative overseas jaunt.

“Arsene is focused on the football primarily,” Kinnear explains. “So the club supports his requirement and therefore the team isn’t traipsed around Asia on money-making schemes.”

He continues: “This season we negotiated [pre-season] fixtures in Hanover and Valencia – two away games which are revenue generating, where teams are paying a fee to have Arsenal. The figures for those games are dwarfed by figures if we were to be able to travel to South Africa, the Far East, the United States.

"What’s more challenging is the brand extension opportunities and the brand expansion, which is about activating that presence and activating it through membership and supporters’ clubs and retail and fan acquisition. And that’s the challenge we face at the moment: how do we grow the brand internationally, knowing that the team is unlikely to have any presence there? And that is a challenge versus Man United and Chelsea.”

Arsenal boss Wenger rejected £10M-a-year Real Madrid contract

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits he turned down a fortune from Real Madrid in the summer.

The Sun says Wenger was offered £10million-a-year last summer to manage Madrid but he felt duty bound to stay with the Gunners where he earns half that amount.

He revealed: "I'd have had a much higher salary at Real. But I've earned a very good living in London.

"I dream of leaving an imprint at Arsenal and winning the Champions League."