3 best Russians to ever play in the Premier League

#2 Andrey Arshavin ( Arsenal)

Andrey Arshavin is among the most popular Russians to ever play in the Premier League

Andrey Arshavin is among the most popular Russians to ever play in the Premier League.

Arshavin started his professional career with Zenit St. Petersburg in 1999 before moving to England to join Arsenal in 2008. He played 105 games during his time with the Gunners, scoring 23 goals in the Premier League. The attacker scored some memorable goals during his spell in the English top-flight, including four goals in a single game against Liverpool at Anfield.

Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal.A game you'll never forget, and it brought us a memorable #PL goal from Andrey Arshavin 💥#LIVARS pic.twitter.com/44M8MuDAg7

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 29, 2018

The now 40-year-old left Arsenal to join his boyhood club Zenit on-loan in 2012 and later permanently in 2013. He spent two years with the St. Petersburg-based club before spending short spells in Russia and Kazakhstan prior to his retirement in 2018.

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#3 Alexey Smertin( Chelsea, Portsmouth, Charlton Athletic and Fulham)

Alexey Smertin of Fulham

Alexey Smertin was among the first signings of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea. The Russian joined the Blues from Bordeaux for a reported fee of £3.45 million in 2003.

However, he was loaned out to Portsmouth for the 2003-04 season, where he put in some impressive performances. Smertin returned to Stamford Bridge in 2004 and made 16 appearances during the Blues' 2004-05 Premier League winning season.

The midfielder struggled to establish himself as a starter in Chelsea's set-up and was loaned out to Charlton Athletic for the 2005-06 season. He left Chelsea permanently to join Dynamo Moscow in 2006.

The Russian returned to England to play for Roy Hodgson's Fulham in 2007 before hanging up his boots in 2008.