Robin van Persie does NOT feel under pressure to fill Thierry
Henrys goal-scoring boots this season.
The Frenchman has been the spearhead of the Arsenal attack for the
past eight seasons and his departure to Barcelona over the summer
means extra responsibility on those remaining.
Despite missing the second half of last season, Van Persie was
still Arsenals top scorer with 13 and showed his return to form on
Sunday with a superb late winner against Inter to lift the Emirates
Cup. Although he is the most experienced of Arsène Wengers
striking quartet for the coming campaign, he does not accept the
onus is solely on him.
No, I don't feel the pressure at all, he said.
It's not my aim to be the top scorer. My aim is to play good
football with this team. I think we showed that against
Inter.
A lot of players are saying oh, I have to be the top scorer. But
for me the first thing is to play football. Of course there are
lots of responsibilities because you are playing in front of 60,000
people.
You play to win things, yes. But I play football because I like
it. I will destroy that feeling if I say to myself I have to score
at least 20 goals or 15 goals. Things have to come out of nothing
and this is what happened against Inter. I wasn't expecting that
goal. It just came out of nothing.
Before this weekend, Van Persie admitted to some nerves about
returning to Emirates Stadium for the first time since breaking his
foot in the act of scoring the equaliser against Manchester United
in January.
Id been out for six months, said the 23-year-old. That is way
too long. I was just so happy that I'm back.
I was in good shape, I was playing alright and then, 'bang', out
of nothing you are back in Holland having treatment every day. It
was quite hard.
But I'm happy to be playing and scoring for the fans once again. I
was really missing that in the last six months.