Van Persie has shown little mercy

Players Under The Microscope / Mike Norman / 23 October 2007 / 2

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"Mystical" Mike Norman looks into his crystal ball to see what the future holds for Arsenal and their young gun Van Persie

Arsenal have now won eleven successive games in all competitions, they are unbeaten in fourteen matches since the season began, and they sit proudly at the top of the Premiership having rattled off seven consecutive league victories - not bad for a team expected to struggle following the departure of Thierry Henry.

On paper, the Gunners' start to the season looked far from difficult, but there is no doubting that the team have played some brilliantly entertaining football, spearheaded by the wonderfully gifted Robin van Persie. Therefore the news from Eindhoven last Wednesday evening, that the Dutchman had hobbled off with a knee injury whilst playing for his country, would have been a bit like being punched in the stomach by Ricky Hatton - a real body blow.

Of course, Arsenal have enough talent to cover the loss of their influential playmaker, but with Liverpool and Manchester United being their next two league opponents, the timing of the injury could not have been worse, not that there is ever a good time to get injured. Van Persie has been pivotal in engineering Arsenal's great start, scoring seven times already, and forming a tremendous partnership with Emmanuel Adebayor.

In the 'Top Premiership Goalscorer' market, Van Persie has understandably drifted to 9.6, while striking partner Adebayor can be matched at 7.4. Adebayor still represents decent value with the knowledge that Togo failed to qualify for the African Cup of Nations, but I tipped him up earlier in the season at much bigger odds, and I wouldn't put anyone off backing Van Persie at his currently inflated trading price. He is the club's main free kick taker, and I have a feeling he will be back playing quicker than Kimi Raikkonen covered the Interlagos Grand Prix circuit recently.

Arsenal looked surprisingly lacklustre for much of the game against Bolton on Saturday, suggesting that Van Persie's absence will certainly affect the team, though it was notable that when a similar attack minded player, Theo Walcott, entered the fray, the Gunners ran out easy winners. Arsenal still look a very appealing 3.8 to win the Premiership title, but I wouldn't rush in to take that price just yet, as those odds will almost certainly increase if the team, as I expect, fail to take maximum points against Liverpool and Manchester United.

Arsene Wenger has a fantastic reputation for turning wingers into strikers, most notably with Thierry Henry and Van Persie, who often play out wide for their respective countries. For this reason, I would love Theo Walcott to be given a chance up top alongside an out-and-out striker. He has the ability to run defences ragged and can play an almost identical role to that of the injured player he would be replacing. Fantasy aside, the reality is that the Brazilian-born Croat Eduardo is likely to be Van Persie's replacement, and though he is a player I know little about, his goalscoring record for Dinamo Zagreb is not to be sniffed at.

It's Champions League action tonight for Arsenal, and though you won't get rich backing them at 1.23, unlike their manager, it's impossible seeing them slip up. I can't see Slavia Prague offering any threat whatsoever, having conceded five goals in two games already, while the Gunners are yet to concede in the competition. I will be having a few 'fun' bets on Arsenal to win 3-0 (currently at 8.4) and 'Any Unquoted' score (4.1), which covers any scoreline if the 'Wenger Boys' get four or more goals.

To win the competition outright, I still feel that Arsenal's main focus will be on winning the Premiership title, so I won't be taking any of the 11.5 that is currently on offer. My original selection was AC Milan, but with them playing more like the 'Dog & Duck', I am fearing the worst. Let's just hope that it's an English team that wins the trophy (2.88 in the 'Winning Nation' market), and if it is to be Arsenal, then no doubt that an injury-free Robin van Persie will have played a major part.

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Matt Carey | 23 October 2007

Great post
Marc | 25 October 2007

When you consider Robin actually started off this season a little slowly - 7 goals already is quite an achievement.

Shame about his current injury, Arsenal could do with him during the next few games and it may also put a dent in his chances of being top goalscorer this season...