Champions Tuesday

Robin van Persie always had a feeling Arsenal would come good this season – and reckons the young Gunners can develop into the unstoppable force of English football once again.

The Dutchman was on target against Steaua Bucharest on Tuesday to ensure a ninth straight win for the Premier League leaders, who maintained their perfect start in Europe to put themselves in the driving seat to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages.

It has certainly been an impressive opening two months of the new campaign by a squad which was supposed to struggle without the services of former talisman Henry, who left for Barcelona during the summer, coincedently, impressing in Spain.

Arsenal have now matched the record of successive victories set by the ‘Invincibles’ team of 2003-04, although manager Wenger has been quick to play down talk of any comparisons just yet.

Van Persie, though, is certainly not surprised by the start this Arsenal side have made, and could sense something special was on the horizon when he returned early to pre-season training following his recovery from a broken metatarsal.

“At the start of the season I said we will surprise – and everyone was laughing,” the Dutchman, 24, recalled.Now 12 games into the season, everyone says, ‘Ooh, look at Arsenal, they are a good team’. This I knew before and my mind has not changed.I started training early this season with Theo [Walcott] and after, when the rest of the lads came back in, I saw a great togetherness and belief and big quality. This is what I saw day in, day out.I can understand the views of the fans and the press because they are not there every day – but I am and I saw this from early on.”

Van Persie declared: “If we can stay together we can do amazing stuff in the future. We are progressing every week we play.”
That is a declaration not needing any witnesses. The world have seen it all, or so they reckon. Winning ugly is an ugly habit, but playing beautiful football AND winning trophies is a magical way to bring the google eyes of envious fans charmingly brimming about the Arsenal.