Premier League 
/ Hannah Duncan / 07 March 2012 / Leave a Comment 
A brave performance but yet another exit. Robin van Persies' Arsenal couldn't quite get past Milan.
"But the rumour mill it is a-turning. And it’s not good news for Arsenal. As with any outstanding player at any underachieving club, the vultures are circling. Van Persie’s Emirates contract expires in 2013 and the Dutchman has already stalled on talks of a new deal."
He can't stop scoring and has admitted his own form is 'insane' and whilst that has helped Arsenal out of many a sticky situation, it has also led to the vultures from Barcelona, Madrid and Manchester circling the Emirates...
This year's Arsenal season review DVD won't necessarily be one for the Emirates faithful to watch back at regular intervals over forthcoming years. We've only just entered March and the Gunners are already out of the FA Cup, out of the running for the Premier League and, despite a gallant showing against AC Milan last night, out of the Champions League. But one member of the Arsenal ranks in particular will have a lot to savour on a personal level when the season is out. It doesn't take a genius to work out I'm talking about Robin van Persie.
With 32 goals in 38 appearances for the Gunners so far this campaign, the Dutchman is not just on fire, he's a blazing inferno - incinerating all who come before him. He has single-handedly earned Arsene Wenger's side 15 points over the course of the Premier League season, without which Arsenal would be languishing between Sunderland and Norwich in 12th place.
As it is, the Gunners are at [1.56] on Betfair for a top four finish and are at [2.82] to pip Chelsea and Tottenham to third place.
It will come as little surprise that van Persie is currently favourite on Betfair to take the Premier League Golden Boot crown this season, at [1.16].
He's already netted 22 times in the league this season, including hat-tricks in Arsenal's 7-1 drubbing of relegation favourites Blackburn and 5-3 win over top four rivals Chelsea. That's an astonishing contribution from the man who struggled to get into double figures in each of his first four seasons in English football.
And his form is good news for Holland too, who will be looking to avenge their 2010 World Cup final disappointment at the European Championships this summer. Already, van Persie is the [10.5] favourite to top the goalscoring charts in Poland and Ukraine, just ahead of Bayern Munich's German hitman Mario Gomez at [11.5], who himself has 26 goals to his name in just 31 appearances this season.
But the rumour mill it is a-turning. And it's not good news for Arsenal. As with any outstanding player at any underachieving club, the vultures are circling. Van Persie's Emirates contract expires in 2013 and the Dutchman has already stalled on talks of a new deal - postponing them until the summer.
This season's hot property is thought to have caught the eye of both AC Milan and Juventus, not to mention Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as moneybags Manchester City. To put it simply, there's unlikely to be a shortage of offers flooding in to the Emirates come the opening of the transfer window.
And while Arsenal can break the bank to keep Robin van Persie in North London, what they can't guarantee is trophies. The last club honour the Dutchman won was back in 2005; meanwhile former Arsenal team-mates Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and even Emmanuel Adebayor are all in the hunt for silverware this campaign.
Most Arsenal fans would agree the squad that has been assembled, disassembled and reassembled time and again by Arsene Wenger is not strong enough to mount a serious assault on the FA Cup, let alone the Premier League or European honours. Whilst the likes of Per Mertesacker and Gervinho are solid enough, they are little match for the Vincent Kompany and Ashley Youngs of this world.
If the Frenchman is to persuade the 28-year-old that the Emirates is the place to be, he first needs to persuade the Arsenal board that they need to splash the cash on more than just a renewed contract for van Persie.
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