Robin van Persie Goal scoring Machine - Norwich V Arsenal 1 - 2

Robin van Persie comes through AGAIN. Arsenal's captain, man of the moment, man of the match, team mascot and linchpin has lifted the spirits of his team and the fans.

31 goals is his current tally of this year in the premiership. 31 GOALS? This is despite being injured a lot of the earlier half of the year. Less than half-way through this season, he's already scored 13 goals in the premiership and is its current top goal scorer.

The Gunners attacked right from the start but threw away 3 chances in the first 15mins with Norwich's Morison scoring first from a Meresacker mistake. It wasn't the German defender's best showing. His imposing 6'6 presence is currently striking fear into the Arsenal goalkeeper and NOT the opposing teams as he keeps making mistakes that gift goals. The Canaries held unto that lead for 10 minutes with a solid defensive wall.

However Arsenal continued to attack doggedly and Van Persie scored his first goal from an excellent pass from Walcott who is also having his best Arsenal season to date. Walcott's speed is extremely hard to beat and the Norwich midfield was caught napping.

The first half ended 1-1 and it is a measure of how much Arsenal have changed that the team did not crumble in the 2nd half. The team are no longer the mentally defeated team their fans despaired of at the start of the season. Van Persie put in a 2nd goal with a pass from Song a few minutes into the 2nd half. Norwich fought back hunting for an elusive equaliser and their best chance was in the 66th minute when Pilkington managed to fumble in front of Arsenal's open goal.

After that, it was Arsenal's game with Walcott almost extending the lead in the dying minutes with a shot off the outside of the post. 3 points firmly in the bag, up to 6th in the tables (which we can hang unto if Liverpool lose or draw tomorrow).

Most of the thanks for this should go to Van Persie. My brother (A ?Man U supporter) referred to Van Persie as a goal scoring machine. Extremely apt.

Robin van Persie - you ROCK!!

No Racism in Football - Sepp Blatter says abuse is just a tactic.

FIFA's president says there is no racism in football.

Asked whether he thought racism on the pitch was a problem, FIFA's president Sepp Blatter told CNN World Sport: "I would deny it. There is no racism. There is maybe one of the players towards another - he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one. But the one who is affected by that, he should say 'this is a game'. We are in a game, and at the end of the game, we shake hands, and this can happen, because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination."

No racism in football????????????

Is Sepp Blatter on another planet? Does he live in a world where men and women are actually always judged by the content of their character and not their skin colour? Does he refuse to see the disgusting sight when English teams go to play in some European countries and the fans of these European clubs mock and hoot at the black players all through the game?

While Blatter accepts there is some racism by fans which still needs to be stamped out, in his view, there is none on the football pitch. In his world, anything players say to each other on the pitch is all part of the game. The black players should man up, grow a pair, be good sports about it, understand it's all about their opponent trying to out-psyche them - and once the game is over, they should accept an apology and shake hands on the pitch afterwards.

Blatter is unbelievable! So, call me a black idiot or a monkey on the field, but as soon as the game is over, just apologise and say it was a game and let's shake hands?

This is utter madness! A black player is meant to ignore the crude racist abuse from the fans of opposing European teams and is now also expected to ignore being racially abused on the pitch. I guess in Blatter's tiny little world, all black people are smiley happy robots who just shrug off any abuse. It's all part of the game, innit!!

This is the same Sepp Blatter who said women footballers should wear tighter shorts to boost the popularity of the female game! What next??? Have the black female players play topless during the game?

The UK has definitely come a long way from the dark days of the 1970's. Black players are no longer routinely called monkeys or have bananas thrown on the pitch. Some racism still exists but the football clubs and the FA have done a lot to stamp out the petty everyday racism that black players had to face daily from their own team-mates and fans 20 - 30 years ago. Football is probably the most racially united game in the UK with fans of a team no longer caring what colour their players are, as long as they deliver on the pitch. As an Arsenal fan, I can tell you we would happily accept players from Mars if they were geniuses on the pitch!

The English FA is currently dealing with 2 high profile cases of alleged racism - Liverpool's Suarez has just been accused of racially abusing Patrice Evra of Man U and Chelsea's John Terry is under investigation for abusing Anton Ferdinard who plays for QPR. John Terry also happens to be England's captain, so it will be interesting to see how the issue is dealt with.

Just remember, when you are called racist or sexist names on the pitch or at your work-place, understand it is all a tactic to psyche you out, do a Blatter and shake your opponent's hand afterwards! *sarcasm*

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It's not over till the Fat lady sings - Arsenal's 400th Premier League win.

After a few loud throat-clearing threats to burst into song early on in the season, the fat lady has fallen remarkably silent re Arsenal's 'demise'.

Arsenal's start to the season was dire and painful, but over the last 11 games, their record is 1 draw, 4 losses and 6 wins. After winning their last 4 games in the Premier League, it can be argued that the Gunners have turned the corner. The new team hastily cobbled together in August (a response to the nightmare of the 8 - 2 loss) is finally gelling. While the defence remains porous and patchy, the goalkeepers this season are the best the Gunner have had in years and the mid-field is fine and getting stronger. However the striker Robin van Persie, is hot and on fire. The mega-talented striker has become the mascot and good luck charm of the team. Whilst modest and unassuming, he does what a good captain should; imbues his team with confidence and inspires them to play with a greater intensity. When Van Persie comes unto the field, a new 'va va voom' infuses the team. While the magic of Fabregas and the nimble footwork of Nasri are a loss, Van Persie has stepped into their shoes and is comfortably filling the gaping hole they left behind.

Today Arsenal beat West Brom 3 - 0 and recorded their 400th Premier League win. For those who sneer that Van Persie is Arsenal's only goal scorer and without him the team would be lost, today's match shows that other Arsenal players are finally stepping up and showing they too can put goals past their opponents - of today's 3 goals, only 1 was scored by RVP.

The team is still in 7th place but we now have the same points as 6th place Liverpool (who have a 2 goal difference advantage) and 5th place Spurs (who have 2 games in hand). It is a remarkable turn-around for a team that a few weeks ago were 17th. I still remember many prophesying Arsenal would slide down into relegation.

Congratulations to the Gunners on their 400th Premier League win AND to Robin van Persie, Premier League player of the month for October AND the current top goal scorer in the league.

Well done the Arsenal!

3 - 5 - we're still ALIVE! Chelsea V Arsenal!! GUNNERS!

Guess the title says it all . Arsenal beat Chelsea at HOME 5 - 3. Robin van Persie scored a neat hat-trick. It's a brilliant thrilling match with loads of goals and errors but sheer class through out.

The Gunners are still wobbly defensively but this should help answer the critics who said we were finished without Fabregas and Nasri. In their minds, we had already been relegated. Fans began calling for Mr Wenger's head or at the very least his resignation. However, the same critics said we were finished when Henri left, before Fabregas became the new hero. As for Nasri? Well, he is a totally brilliant player - but who realised that before Wenger got hold of him and nurtured/built him into a mega-talent?

Say what you want about Wenger and Mr Ferguson but they are both fantastic at getting good players and turning them into WORLD-CLASS talent. When Fabregas and Nasri left, I knew someone would step up to the plate. Spotting, nurturing, developing talent - that's what Mr Wenger does best.

It is awesome to finally see RVP get his moment in the sun. He is so modest it is easy to overlook him. He's always been an excellent player overshadowed by injuries and that innate modesty.

Most Arsenal fans would have been ecstatic with a draw today. Our true fear was we would be thumped badly by Chelsea as they sought to avenge their last week loss to QPR. Not many could have foreseen such an emphatic victory by Arsenal.

The Gunners are still alive. Keep playing with your hearts guys. Nice to see the new team gelling together slowly but surely. Remember, true gunners love ya through thick and thin.

xx

Man U 1 - 6 Man C. Arsenal 3 - 1 Stoke. Football, the beautiful game!!!

A few weeks ago, Arsenal, my team, was annihilated by Manchester United. It was a painful day for Arsenal fans; the joke I'll 8 - 2 be an Arsenal fan was bandied everywhere. (8 - 2 was the final score). We could hardly lift up our pain-filled heads, so sunk were we in shame and disgrace.

So forgive me if a little smile crossed my face (ok, it was a HUGE smile) when Man U was WALLOPED 1 - 6 by Man City earlier today. Forgive me for smiling but Man, I know just how devastated U fans are feeling right now.

Of course the day was given an extra gloss by Arsenal beating Stoke 3 - 1 and moving up to 7th in the tables.

Hmmmm, I wonder if many Man U fans are saying right now - iSi(c)k. Ok, that's a poor 1 - 6 joke but you 'catch my drift'.

Last I heard, Chelsea is down 0 -1 to QPR and have had 2 men sent off. Who knows, today might just get even better! LOL

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