Van Persie puts Arsenal on track

After a stuttering start to the season, Arsenal appear to have found their form as they have won four of their last five league games.

The Gunners have moved up to seventh place, three points outside the top-four zone. Striker Robin van Persie, promoted to team captain following the departure of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona, has been key to Arsenal’s revival.

The Dutchman scored a hat-trick in the thrilling 5-3 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend.

Van Persie is the leading Premier League marksman with 10 goals... half of Arsenal’s total. Arsene Wenger’s team had failed to score in their first two league outings, away at Newcastle and at home to Liverpool but they have been hitting the net regularly lately.

This year, Van Persie has netted 28 goals (from January 1) in 27 league games. He has scored one more than the record of 27 goals (until end of October) set by Alan Shearer in 1995. Shearer finished the year with 36 goals.

At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal host West Brom with high hopes of stretching their positive record.

In October, the Midlanders lost only once, against Liverpool at the Hawthorns.

Manchester City, five points clear of rivals United at the top, travel to Queens Park Rangers this evening.

In midweek, City cruised to a 3-0 win at Villarreal in the Champions League. This will be City’s third visit to the capital after a 5-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur and a 2-2 draw at Fulham. They will be without suspended defender Vincent Kompany who was sent off in the 3-1 win over Wolves.

Manchester United, the reigning champions, were glad to go back to basics after their 6-1 hiding to City when they edged Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park.

This afternoon, they welcome Sunderland at Old Trafford where ex-United players Philip Bardsley, Frazier Campbell, Kieran Richardson, John O’Shea and Wes Brown are expected to receive a warm welcome from the fans.

Rafael is back after spending three months on the sidelines with a shoulder injury.

With Simon Mignolet out long-term injured, Sunderland have asked permission from the FA to sign another goalkeeper on loan.

After suffering back-to-back league defeats, Chelsea will be looking to stop the rot when they meet Blackburn at Ewood Park.

The Blues let in five goals (to Arsenal) in a league match at home for the first time since December 1989 when Liverpool won at Stamford Bridge 5-2. Chelsea’s defence has been very unsteady this season... they have only kept one clean sheet, a 0-0 draw at Stoke.

Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea’s Portuguese boss, lashed out at his players, after their 5-3 upset to Arsenal.

Cynics have told Villas-Boas that if he wants to keep his job until Christmas, he must change tactics and work on improving his team’s defensive set-up.

Last Monday, Newcastle main-tained their unbeaten start after winning 3-1 at Stoke. The Magpies square up to Everton at St James’s Park today.

Everton, two places above the relegation zone, continued to baffle their followers with their poor record at Goodison Park, where they have won only once in the league.

Liverpool proved that they are still in the thick of things with their win at West Brom. In one of their best performances this season, their front duo of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll showed that they could trouble more defences in the future.

A setback, however, was the news that Reds captain Steven Gerrard could be sidelined for another fortnight.

Fixtures and forecast

Premier League

Arsenal-West Brom - 1
Aston Villa-Norwich - 1
Blackburn-Chelsea - 2
Liverpool-Swansea - 1
Man. United-Sunderland - 1
Newcastle-Everton (13:45) - 1
QPR-Man. City (18:30) - 2

Tomorrow:

Bolton-Stoke (16:00) - X
Fulham-Tottenham (17:00) - 2
Wolves-Wigan (14:30) - 1

Standings: Man. City 28; Man. Utd 23; Newcastle 22; Chelsea, Totten-ham 19; Liverpool 18; Arsenal 16; Norwich 13; Aston Villa, Swansea, Stoke, QPR 12; WBA 11; Sunder-land, Fulham, Everton 10; Wolves 8; Blackburn, Bolton 6; Wigan 5.

The Championship

Blackpool-Millwall - 1
Bristol City-Burnley - X
Cardiff-Crystal Palace - 1
Coventry-Southampton - 2
Hull-West Ham - X
Ipswich-Doncaster - 1
M’brough-Watford (18:20) - 1
Peterborough-Derby - 1
Portsmouth-Nottm Forest - 1

Tomorrow:

Brighton-Barnsley (16:00) - 1
Leicester-Leeds (16:00) - 1
Reading-Birmingham (16:00) - X

League One

Bournemouth-Scunthorpe - X
Charlton-Preston - 1
Chesterfield-Yeovil - 1
Exeter-Carlisle - X
Huddersfield-Walsall - 1
Leyton Orient-Hartlepool - 1
MK Dons-Rochdale - 1
Notts County-Wycombe - 1
Oldham-Bury - 1
Sheffield Wed.-Brentford - 1
Stevenage-Sheffield United - X
Tranmere-Colchesterv X

League Two

Accrington-Bristol Rovers - 1
Wimbledon-Barnet - 1
Bradford-Cheltenham - X
Burton Albion-Macclesfield - 1
Crewe-Torquay - X
Dagenham-Shrewsbury - 2
Gillingham-Northampton - 2
Hereford-Crawley Town - 2
Plymouth-Morecambe - 2
Port Vale-Swindon - X
Rotherham-Aldershot - 1
Southend-Oxford United - 1

Hot Four
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Aston Villa.