Arsene Wenger spoke with pride last night as Robin van Persie matched Ian Wright’s Premier League record of scoring against 17 different teams in a single league season.
The Dutch striker has only failed to find the net versus Manchester City and Fulham this term, an extraordinary record which Wright achieved during the 1996-97 season when he scored against everybody except Manchester United and Sunderland.
99 goals behind Thierry Henry’s total of 228 goals, Van Persie is now the eighth highest scorer in Arsenal history. Lauding his protégé’s remarkable achievement, Wenger remarked last night:
“I think he equalled the record of Ian Wright by scoring against 17 different teams in the Premier League out of 20.
“That is absolutely remarkable in the modern game so I would like to congratulate him because that has never been done before.
“When you only have 19 teams, and your striker has scored against 17 teams, that is something sensational.
“He could have beaten the record if he had scored against Manchester City at the weekend.”
Looking ahead, if Van Persie were to commit himself to at least another year at the Emirates, it’s not unfeasible that he could climb as high as fourth in the Arsenal scoring hierarchy with Doug Lishman (137 goals), Ted Drake (139), Jimmy Brain (139)and John Radford (149) all within reach.
It’s remarkable that the irascible and injury-prone teenager who turned up at Highbury in 2004 can now be mentioned in the same breath as some of the club’s most esteemed professionals – well played sir. Well played indeed.
If we’re 5-0 up Robin, score an own goal, go on, treat yourself, you deserve a record in your name only!
An own goal would do the trick…
he is a legend already, a new bergkamp if you will.
imagine the legend status he will have if he ends his career here.
staying with the club in a trophy drought will make him one of the gunners all time legends in my opinion.
99 goals can be achieved in 3 seasons (maybe 2 if he goes ronaldo/messi mode!) & seeing as he’s only getting better/less injury prone with age, Henry’s record should be his target!
We had a penalty shout against micah (a) and two against fulham(a) but what do we know? It’s not like we are man united.
That for me shows how he could have scored against all 19. Well captain that’s another target next season.
Don’t forget the wrongly disallowed “offside” goal Robin scored at the Etihad. It really should be 19 teams…
Dennis is my all time favorite player in my 41 years of following the Arse’. Apart from being unbelievable skillful, he had that edge and that bit of nastiness……. Robin has that too which is why i’d be gutted if he left.
Come on Rob’…. stay and become a legend
I think he’ll be with us next year. Even if he doesn’t sign another contract, what will his value be at his age 14m? As he get older I think he’ll drop into the No 10 role we always thought he was, which isn’t reliant on pace. Hopefully he replicate Dennis’ later years with us.
I agree. I don’t think he’s going anywhere. He’s happy with life by all accounts, he’s loved my everyone at the club – management, players and fans – and being skipper seems to have totally completed him as a player. He must look at this squad, what we’ve got coming through and the potential there, and then think back a few years when he was one of the younger ones, and what might have been achieved had a bit more experience been retained. He’s now that experience, so can help us get to the next level and finish his career… Read more »
If you think about it he’s only been the top dog at the club for 18 months, if he then moves on, particulary at 30 yrs of age, he’ll drop down the pecking order. Barca have Messi and Madrid have Ronaldo, so he’d have to play second fiddle to them. It would be interesting to hear what Thierry said to him if they discussed his situation, I wonder if he felt it was worth leaving us to win trophies for a side that would still have won everything with me in the side. If we can get through this summer… Read more »
I’m pretty sure it was Nasri that said that actually. Or maybe not.
Ha ha, my mistake. The only mark Nasri left was a skid mark.
Vela is starting to show some form out on loan, I wonder if there is any possibility of having him back next season to back up RVP..
I don’t think it’s gonna happen. According to the dude himself, London is a shithole and playing at Arsenal was one step above sewing wallets in a Malaysian sweatshop.
He put it more diplomatically than that.
Shame he turned out to be a whiny cunt because he certainly has talent.
Do clubs have to pay a portion of the wages of the players they loan out?
To reiterate, is Vela costing us anything right now
Vela isn’t being ‘whiny’. He was never really given the same chances the likes of Denilson, Bendtner and even Chamakh have gotten! Now with the dominance Van Persie is having on the only real striking position Arsenal have and the imminent arrival of Podolski – do you really think he’d be given the chances a player of his quality and age should be? Now he’s in Spain, enjoying the wheather, his football and is getting recognition and who knows- maybe down the line he’ll be picked up by a big club again. Although is a little upset he didn’t make… Read more »
Vela didnt work hard enough at Arsenal, seeing him play these days he seems to have a bit extra in terms of finishing.. i mean whilst he was with us it was all about chipping the goalie.. about time he grew out of it. if he comes back, great, good to have a back up wenger will actually put on the pitch – unlike park and marouane, but if we sell him, not too bothered either as long as we pick up a backup/support striker for robin – podolski hopefully.
Whoa did you really have to mention that Malaysian sweatshop bit? If you cared to watch enough Discovery Channel you’ll know we’re much more than just sweatshops and whatever else primitive you think of us.
I think the main reason Robin ain’t scoring goals any more is because defenders are man marking him and are being extra cautious around him. They are probably getting caught up in the “1 man team” hype and focusing on him and cutting his supply off the ball. What they don’t know is, Robin can give awesome assists too, which has been good for us and the goals are being spread out.
I actually agree with you after the first sentence but how can you say “Robin aint scoring goals any more” ??
I’ve noticed that this is the phenomenon that lies behind Theo’s “inconsistency”. He has a few games where he plays really well, burning people all over the pitch. So the next opposition put two players on him (and a backup clogger to haul him to the ground when the ref’s back is turned) and suddenly his “form drops”. A few weeks later, we come up against an opponent who have bought into the whole “Theo is shit now lol” argument and sure enough, Theo’s assists/goals start coming again. All we need is a player on the other wing who are… Read more »
I love the way they treat the ball.
And wish if van is top scorer this season.
He still has the 31 goals in a EPL season to aim for. Smash it Robin!!
I love lamp
I ate a big red candle
I’m sorry, I think I ate your chocolate squirrel.
Pungent !
It stings the nostrils. I’ll be honest with you, It smells like pure gasoline.
And on related matters, congrats to Robin. I’m with Mooro and I think we’ll see more next year. I too envisage him moving into a Bergkamp type role with Theo in front. Maybe not next year but certainly when he’s the other side of 30.
Who is this ‘Robin’ I keep hearing about? Never heard of him. Does he play for the Reserves? Maybe we should loan him out to Bolton. Clearly an injury-prone player. WENGER OUT! In all seriousness, really, really hoping he stays with us. I can’t see him going anywhere myself, especially if we win this race for third place. Another 5 years with us would surely see him close to Henry’s record, especially if he’s as free-scoring as he has been this season. Amazing we bought him for £2.5m. He was brought in as a long-term replacement to DB10 anyway, so… Read more »
So no one has scored more than 31 goals in the epl season??, come on rvp beat this record since you fell short of allan shearers’ 36 goals and ian wrights’ record. I feel he has to beat this record so that he caps his magnificient, amazing, fantastic, awesome season that he is having.
Van Persie is rubbish! He went for four entire games without scoring a goal.
Get in Robbin! Verm’s goal line clearance for city looks more of a shame in respect to this article, but tbh it was all about the 3 points that game! Robins form has been amazing this season, he’s left all the big names (rooney, drog, torres, suarez, aguero, ade) eating his dust. If Arsene can convince Robin that he will actually invest in this team by getting a couple extra proven talents, then this team will go the distance next year. Even though we won nothing this season, a lot of good has come from it – szcz is our… Read more »
van persie will stay because he knows he has the best chance of winning the EPL with arsenal. man shitty wont win anything next season. fact. look at the form tables. Arsenal are top. We’ve been the best team since the close of the january transfer window. fact. roll that form into next season and the title will be ours!
How many more ‘records’ that none of us were aware of will he Equal or break. We had the goals in a ‘calendar’ year one, now the scoring against most number of different teams one, what next? Personally I’m looking forward to him breaking the record for ‘Most goals scored against foreign goalies with pierced scrotums during the season of Ramadan’. Thats like a trophy in itself.
He should have a goal against 18.
DAMN YOU BACK OF VERMAELEN!!!!!!!!
Robin a a London Gentleman.
i’m not surprised Van Persie is becoming a legend. Just from watching his Feyernoord clips you could tell that he had special talent!
Van The Man!!
I hate to think this, but I honestly feel like Robin’s miss in the second leg against Milan has caused a tiny bit of drop in form. Opportunities in the last few weeks that he generally would have taken and has missed is because that’s running in his mind still I feel. Hope to god I’m wrong, and that the skipper signs another deal with the club. Shava is likely to come back from Zenit, with Podolski, Wilshere, Diaby, the Ox, Gerv as he gets more used to English football, Robin could have a great entourage for the next few… Read more »
Let’s hope he gets through the euros all right and starts next season the same I think he’ll sign new contract because he loves the club and the club has stood by him in his injury prone seasons and he’s an arsenal legend