Arsenal talisman Robin van Persie has insisted that he is not stressing over breaking the record for number of Premier League goals scored in a calendar year, claiming that he is just as happy to create goal-scoring chances for his teammates.
Van Persie took his tally to 34 Premier League goals in the calendar year after scoring a penalty versus Aston Villa last week, which is just two shy of Alan Shearer’s record with one game against Queens Park Rangers remaining for the Gunners in 2011.
“I will try to break the record but it’s not first on my wish list. It comes fourth or fifth, or something,” Van Persie told Arsenal Player.
“For me I always want my basics right for what we have to do to win. If I can score it’s good but I am not only going out on the pitch to score goals, I am going out there because I love football. I like to play and we want to win the game and get the three points.”
“Hopefully I can add some assists or goals but I am not out there as maybe as some other strikers are, thinking of themselves. I am not like that and I never will be. We go out there in a different way and I prefer that.
“There are a lot of players who do their thing and that’s it, but I’m going to make it a bit more complicated and ask for more and more from myself.”
Van Persie, a Holland international, is best suited playing behind a striker. Perhaps Arsene Wenger should look for a front-man in January to pair with RVP.
After all, RVP does appreciate a good assist.
“For me I do appreciate assists as much as a proper goal,” Van Persie added.
“It’s so important to have that. Luckily enough we live in a world now where people do recognize good assists. Before it was more about the goalscorer and he was the main man but people do realize that the guy that makes that final pass is just as important.
“We all know that it’s important that the assists get the credit too, which is very important in my opinion. For me personally, if I could choose between a tap-in or a really good assist, I would choose the assist all day long.”
The Dutch striker cited Alex Song’s pass that lead his wonder volley versus Everton earlier this season as a “really good assist”.
“For example, Alex Song’s pass for me in the game against Everton,” he said.
“It was a really good volley, OK, but without that pass I would have never scored.”
Will Robin van Persie break Alan Shearer’s goal record?
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