Robin Van Persie has ordered Arsenal to forget about pretty football.

The Gunners have not won a trophy since 2005 while often being accused of putting style above substance.

And, ahead of their visit to Aston Villa tonight, striker Van Persie said: “Nobody can play beautiful football all the time.

“When that happens I tell our lads ‘If it’s not happening for you, just try to kill off the game so we can move on’.

“I am still a lover of the beautiful game and always will be but I have become more realistic.

“It is too romantic to think that you can win matches by playing beautiful football alone.

“Barcelona are the exception — and I have to admit they and Arsenal are the only teams that I often watch on TV.”

And Van Persie applies his ‘ugly’ rule to his own goals too.

He added: “I have felt more like a centre-forward recently.

“In the beginning I had to get accustomed to the idea, I was not convinced that I could play in this position.

“Since then I have become clear in my mind, and grown into the role. I enjoy scoring more now these days.

“You can see it from my goals — some come about from willpower pure and simple.

“You can see it in my face, ‘OK, the ball’s got to go in no matter how’.

“I used to think about other options when faced with the goal — looking to find team-mates with a clever pass, going for a hook shot or blasting it. More here at The Sun.

With that off Van Persie’s chest, maybe Arsenal can get on and keep up the good record. Who knows, the Dutch scoring machine may have a point and we’ll certainly see if it produces the goods in the coming games!

“What does Arsenal mean? It means class.” Those were the words of Charlie Nicholas ahead of this, a celebration of 125 years of football at the North London club. It is testament to Robin Van Persie then that a crowd who have witnessed Henry and Bergkamp leave mouths agape in years gone by, will have seen few strikes classier than today’s decider at The Emirates.

The control, the power, the ease with which the imperial Dutchman guided home his 70th minute volley was not what most impressed about the goal. That Van Persie had been largely absent in an end to end affair before breaking Blue hearts by striding from anonymity to snatch all three points, shows the Arsenal marksman as more than just that, he is a predator, and one who now looks ready to take his place among the pre-match precession of Henry, Wright and Nicholas himself.

For Everton, the journey will be one as taxing to their legs as it is their morale. David Moyes’ men held out stoically before brilliance denied them. Riding their luck in the first half, they rebuffed the advances of Gervinho, a one time target made unattainable by money, or a lack of. They even managed to curtail Theo Walcott who was a game runner for the scythe passing of former Toffee Mikel Arteta.

Defending has not been Moyes’ problem though, had that cost him the points, it might have been easier to take. Instead the travelling Evertonians watched along with their manager as another ninety minute exposure of their toothless attack painfully played out.

Louis Saha recovered from a thigh strain to be available for the trip, but his minimal impact was clear in one stat: Everton couldn’t muster a single shot on target at The Emirates. More worryingly, it is the second successive game this has happened, a fresh approach in attack is becoming a matter of desperation more than desire. The show of sublime striking at one end was cruel on the goal starved.

It also spared Arsenal from the nil all draw which could have given home fans, longer in tooth, mind of times less fast inside the Highbury library, before a French revolution took hold. The Gunners squandered good chances in the first half, Gervinho and Aaron Ramsey inexplicably neglecting to sort out an easy tap in between them, before the Ivorian slammed a one on one shot straight at Tim Howard.

After Ramsey found room in the box, minutes before the break, to craft a lob over Howard which dropped agonisingly onto the roof of the net Arsene Wenger might have felt it one of those days. His readying of Rosicky and Arshavin on the hour confirmed those fears but, on a day which was all about history in north London, a flying Dutchman proved the future, as well as the past, is orange. The subs sat down and zipped their jackets back up, the victory, and Everton’s fate, was sealed. Original article here

A great game by both sides and it was the brilliance of Arsenal’s Dutch superstar that broke the deadlock in the 70th minute.It was a truly beautiful strike from an awesome pass and Arsenal deserved the win at the Emirates. The Robin Van Persie volley will go down in history for sure!

The Dutchman, 25, has ended speculation on his future by signing a new, long-term deal which is reported to be worth some £80,000 a week.

Van Persie told Arsenal TV Online: “Lots of people have given me love from this club, and for me, it is a small thing I have to do to pay them back.”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has suggested in the recent past that he’s not averse to selling to Premier League rivals if the price is right, but do you think his policy is correct?

Would you rather sell van Persie to Inter Milan at a bargain price, or would you sell to the highest bidder even if it happened to be Manchester United?