Arsenal know all about Robin van Persie. After eight years at the club, the 29-year-old centre-forward left the Emirates to sign for Manchester United in the summer of 2012 and provided the missing piece of Sir Alex Ferguson’s last title-winning jigsaw at Old Trafford.
Having narrowly missed out on the Premier League trophy at the end of the 2011-12 season (on goal difference to Manchester City), United knew they had to make a big signing that summer to give themselves any hope of dethroning City. But Van Persie, who had finished as the Premier League’s top scorer with 30 goals, seemed an impossible target. He played for one of their biggest rivals and a team with title aspirations of their own.
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Despite the obstacles in their way, including City’s attempts to sign the Netherlands forward, United got a £24 million deal done, helped by the player moving into the last year of his contract. The rest is history. United won the league by 11 points in 2012-13, largely thanks to Van Persie topping the Premier League scoring charts again with 26 goals. Ferguson’s audacious summer move was rewarded with the club’s 20th — and to date, last — league title.
Eleven years on and the mere mention of Van Persie is like scraping at an open wound for anyone connected with Arsenal. But as the Gunners reflect on their failure to translate a winning position into title success this season, the story of United’s swoop for Van Persie is one worth remembering.
Arsenal now have to do what United did by delivering a statement of intent with a big signing that could make the difference for Mikel Arteta’s team next season.
With Pep Guardiola’s dominant Man City picking up their fifth title in six years, the Gunners may have already blown their best chance of winning the Premier League anytime soon. They were eight points clear of City on April 1 and, despite having played a game more, still had a commanding lead. Yes, City were brutally consistent to win 12 consecutive league games, but Arsenal had one hand on the trophy and allowed it to slip during a run of two wins in eight games.
So while the final standings may see Arsenal trail City by a double-digit points margin, the truth is that it has been much closer than that. Arsenal can challenge again next season, but their summer recruitment will be crucial.
