´Professional´ Van Persie does trick for Wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger sang the praises of Robin van Persie once more after the Dutchman fired the Gunners to a 1-0 win over Everton.

Wenger’s side climbed inside the English Premier League’s top four with their win at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, which was just reward for a dominant performance from the hosts.

Van Persie – who now has 19 goals in all competitions this season – scored with a terrific first-time volley on his left foot which flew in off the far post with 20 minutes remaining, as Arsenal extended their Premier League unbeaten run to eight matches.

“I felt that in the first half we created many chances and the players were a little bit disappointed because we hadn’t scored at half-time,” Wenger said after the match.

“In the second half, they played deeper and gave us less room and we lacked a little bit of team pressure to get them out of position so we needed something special.”

“I was always confident that we would get a goal and I was pleased that we kept composure and never gave a goal chance away.”

“Robin scored an exceptional goal. He delivered something special and three important points. He said it wasn’t his best day but what’s important is that you are efficient. That’s what it is to be professional.”

While van Persie’s impact ultimately decided the match, Wenger reserved special praise for his defence and added that he was pleased to be in a ‘virtual’ top four for the moment, given the side’s poor start to the season.

“That’s a tradition in football, the goalscorers get all the plaudits. Robin deserves that, he has always been remarkably consistent,” Wenger said.

“I’m very pleased with the fact that defensively we look much more solid. We basically didn’t give a chance away so, on that front, we are better.”

“It’s only a virtual top four because Chelsea play tomorrow. We started so deep, so to be here no-one would have predicted we would be where we are.”

Everton manager David Moyes felt that his side were lucky to be level at half-time and they lacked the quality needed to produce an upset in North London.

“It was a terrific finish, a really good goal which beat us,” Moyes said.

“But we can’t kid ourselves because we were fortunate to go into half-time at 0-0. Then when they scored the goal, we looked the more likely to score, we had grown in confidence and weathered a lot of what Arsenal had thrown at us.”

“We had some great recovery defending with guys getting back in, but we just lacked that bit of quality.”