Earlier this month, Arsenal forward, Robin van Persie, admitted that he was at a loss to explain his club’s spectacular demise; from quadruple chasing in February to narrow qualification for next year’s Champions League and a sixth consecutive trophy-less campaign. “There were lots of things [that went wrong] – we were not consistent enough. It is difficult to talk about it now,” Van Persie told Arsenal TV Online. “It is going to be difficult to finish third, but we still have one game and have to win that to at least give us a chance.”
A week later the Gunners labored to an unconvincing, and late, draw at Fulham and surrendered a third placed finish in the League to the developing Manchester City. “Next season we have to try [to come back stronger],” the Dutch striker added. “Everyone starts from scratch and we have a chance, it is up to us to prove it.”
Although a customary series of relentless excuses have emanated from the Emirates since their exits in March from both the FA Cup and Champions League – following last-minute heartache for Gunners fans against Birmingham in the League Cup at the end of February – van Persie’s impressive form throughout the past five months has at least provided cause for optimism heading in to next season.
The former Feyenord front-man in fact equaled Thierry Henry’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s scoring record since January 1st by finishing 18 times in the League, eventually ending in third – behind Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez on 21 – in the Premiership top scorers column. What’s more, the Dutchman smashed Didier Drogba’s record of scoring in six consecutive away games in the Premier League by netting nine in a row, including in the recent draw at Craven Cottage, which will allow him to continue this feat at the beginning of the next campaign.
The Arsenal faithful were finally rewarded this year after several seasons remaining patient, having been constantly pressed to support their ailing striker through countless long-term injuries, as van Persie ruthlessly surpassed his previous record of just eleven League goals in the 2007 and 2009 seasons. His 66 Premiership goals in seven full seasons in England fail to accurately explain the striker’s contribution to his team nor the unique style which he employs to baffle opposing defenders. It is worth mentioning that the Dutchman hasn’t been selected in more than 28 Premier League starting line-ups in any one season during this period, and found it difficult to dethrone first Thierry Henry and then Emmanuel Adebayor following his returns from injury.
He is by a distance the most important and potent attacking threat the Gunners retain, and if he can avoid the treatment room next year then we may finally witness what the precocious 20 year-old had promised on his Highbury arrival in 2004. Now reaching what many consider the age a striker reaches their peak, it is not inconceivable to imagine the Dutchman maintaining his free-scoring form next season and achieving the feat he narrowly missed out on by three goals this year – especially taking in to account the two players who finished above him, Tevez and Berbatov, face worryingly uncertain futures in England for varying reasons. For the time being, we will have to wait as patiently as his manager to discover if the forward can deliver consistently over the course of a full-season in 2012, but retaining his services remains Wenger’s most important transfer battle in terms of attacking options for next season.
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Written by Daniel Blazer for FootballFancast.com.
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