Van Persie blow as Gunners seek to catch up

THE irony was not lost on Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after striker Robin van Persie was ruled out for at least six weeks with a broken foot.

Dutchman Van Persie, the team’s leading scorer, sustained a fractured metatarsal bone scoring the equaliser after coming on as a substitute in the 2-1 victory over Man Utd on Sunday.

However, Wenger’s tactical decision has proved bitter-sweet with Van Persie likely to be absent for a lengthy period just as Arsenal were looking to step up their efforts to chase down United, Chelsea and Liverpool.