Why Tottenham and Arsenal should duke it out for the striker who took the Premier League by storm:

This time a couple of months ago not many people had heard of Pavel Pogrebnyak and why should they?  The Russian forward had a modest record even in his home country where he has plied his trade for much of his career.  It was Fulham who took a chance on the man who has 8 goals in his 31 international appearances.

The decision to bring him in was a calculated gamble from Martin Jol who needed to reinforce his forward line as Bobby Zamora departed to Queens Park Rangers.  Coming in initially until the end of the season gave Jol a chance to look at the forward whose goal scoring record is respectable if not spectacular.

However, since the striker’s arrival in London he has notched up 6 goals already in his 8 appearances and begun to make a name for himself in England.  Even Jol himself must be surprised at the impact Pogrebnyak has made in England and the speed at which it has taken him to seemingly feel comfortable.  The forward has looked strong, intelligent and most importantly, a clinical finisher.

His Hat-trick against Wolves was a fine example of the finishing traits the Russian has.  He has also looked capable of playing a lonesome role up front when asked to play selflessly for his team as he runs all day and can hold the ball up against a barrage of eager defenders.

Fulham now face a problem though: do they attempt to persuade Stuttgart to part with him at a low cut price or will they not have the money to sign the man who has improved Martin Jol’s side considerably?  On the back of the impressive performances from Pavel Pogrebnyak his value would of gone up to an extent that is perhaps out of reach of the Londoners.  So could it be that one of the so called bigger clubs of English football takes a look at the Russian journeyman?

I see no reason why they shouldn’t; Man United aside each club would benefit from the strong Russian’s presence.  Pogrebnyak would certainly add to the line ups of your Chelsea’s, Liverpool’s, Arsenals and perhaps most all Tottenham who seem like they will need a replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor this summer.  He has shown that he can score goals during his brief spell here in England and deserves the chance to make a real name for himself at one of the top 5 clubs.

No disrespect to Fulham but it seems unlikely he will be there next season as his time in the shop window seems to have proved successful.

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