How Gharibyan Joined Mkhitaryan, Movsisyan and Markarov in an Exclusive Club

Rodina Moscow’s 20-year-old Armenian forward Artur Gharibyan scored twice against Zenit St. Petersburg in the third round of the Russian Premier League, with his brace securing a 2-1 victory for his team.

The goals were Gharibyan’s first in the Russian Premier League. The young striker also joined a rare group of Armenian footballers who have managed to score at least twice against Zenit in a single match.

Official Matches

Eduard Markarov (Ararat Yerevan)
On October 28, 1973, Markarov scored twice against Leningrad’s Zenit in a Soviet Top League match. Ararat claimed a 3-2 victory at the Hrazdan Stadium in Yerevan, a result that allowed the club to become Soviet champions for the first time in its history. Earlier that year, Ararat had also won the Soviet Cup, completing its legendary domestic “golden double.”

Yura Movsisyan (Spartak Moscow)
On November 10, 2013, Movsisyan scored twice before halftime against Zenit in the 16th round of the Russian Premier League. He added another goal shortly after the break to complete a hat-trick as Spartak defeated the St. Petersburg side 4-2.

Gharibyan has now joined Markarov and Movsisyan on the list of Armenian footballers to score at least twice against Zenit in a single official match.

Friendly Matches

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has also achieved the feat. On January 22, 2013, the future Armenia captain, then playing for Shakhtar Donetsk, scored twice against Zenit in a friendly during a winter training camp in the UAE. Shakhtar won the match 3-2.

By scoring a brace against one of Russia’s leading clubs, 20-year-old Gharibyanhas put his name alongside some of Armenian football’s most prominent figures — Eduard Markarov, Yura Movsisyan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The memorable performance was even more significant for the Rodina striker as the two goals were also the first of his Russian Premier League career.