Arsenal Player of the Month: October
Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas, Premiership | 31 October 2011
After a sticky start to the campaign, Arsenal have finally found some form and momentum which saw them soar above European heavyweights Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers into the echelons of 7th place, and more importantly, a mere three points off an automatic Champions League spot; not bad for a side languishing just above the relegation zone at the start of the month. The emphatic victory in a Premier League classic at Stamford Bridge confirmed a resurgence that has been threatening to occur for a few weeks now.
Despite stringing together a few victories, for the third month running there are minimal contenders for this award, with consistency being the key amongst the majority of the squad. After flirting with the treatment table at the end of September, Laurent Koscielny made a swift transition back into the side and turned a handful of impressive displays, including a man-of-the-match performance in Marseille.
Aaron Ramsey also made his most significant contribution in France with a last-gasp winner but has gradually become a more influential figure in the Gunners’ starting eleven. A beautiful clipped through ball to set up Gervinho against Stoke, a goal in the disappointing North London derby and an excellent performance against Chelsea have established the Welshman as a worthy contender for this month’s award.
Previous winners Wojciech Szczesny and Mikel Arteta continue to impress without performing any particular heroics as does Andrey Arshavin who has provided moments of inspiration between doing sweet FA elsewhere on the pitch.
But the choice this month was made easy as pie thanks to a certain Dutchman’s continual willingness to pull out his shovel and dig his teammates out of mediocrity. If there was any doubt, Captain Fantastic himself, Mr Robin van Persie wins my highly prestigious vote at a canter.
There were times last season where many members of the Arsenal team essentially threw in the towel and looked to Cesc Fabregas as if to say, “come on then skip, get us out of this hole.” More often than not, he did, and following his departure I admit to being, shall we say sceptical, about our ability to cope when the going gets tough. Much to Gooners’ delight, van Persie has realised that he is our sole world class player and has stepped up to become an absolute talisman; a player we genuinely cannot do without.
Even amidst the darkness of the early days of the season, van Persie’s movement in and around the box provided a little respite for his misfiring teammates. His supreme skill allows him to emerge from the shackles of defenders and provide his next bit of magic; be that a blistering attempt on goal or a Dennis Bergkamp-esque through ball.
If there was ever a moment that epitomised the glaring similarities between the Arsenal skipper and the former Dutch legend, it came against Sunderland when van Persie exquisitely rolled his man before executing an outrageous chip, with only the width of the post denying him a truly wonderful goal.
He hit the back of the net on more than enough occasions. After reaching the 100 goal mark last month, and therefore firmly placing him alongside the likes of Cliff Bastin, Ian Wright and Thierry Henry in the history books, van Persie grabbed another seven goals of paramount importance. A goal inside 30 seconds at home to Sunderland was cancelled out by former gunner, Seb Larsson, but in typical convincing fashion, the flying Dutchman scored a terrific freekick to win the game.
The following week against Stoke, van Persie was rested on the bench, with Arsene Wenger fully aware of the need to wrap his prized asset in cotton wool and keep him fresh for the many challenges that lie ahead. With the game deadlocked and Marouane Chamakh failing to make sufficient impact, the captain was called from the bench to deliver the goods and that’s exactly what he did, with two trademark ‘fox in the box’ instinctive finishes. An incredible hattrick against rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge proved his supreme quality once and for all, and took his 2011 goal tally to a quite ridiculous 28 in 27 games.
Common opinion seems to be that van Persie’s best position is in ‘the hole,’ just behind another striker. Whilst he is perfectly adept in this deeper role, Arsenal would be sacrificing his predatory ability in the box where he scores so many important goals. The manager has addressed this demand from those outside the club and effectively dismissed it as stupidity.
Injury has often hampered his reputation if not completely his contribution: when available he always performs for The Gunners. With a run of more than three consecutive games under his belt, Robin van Persie is finally getting the recognition he deserves, as the best centre forward in the country.
September: Mikel Arteta
August: Wojciech Szczesny
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