Will there be another player in the Premier League who can outscore Robin van Persie this season? As it stands, no.
The Dutchman was prolific for Manchester United after controversially leaving the Emirates for Old Trafford last summer. Despite going through a period of two months without finding the net, van Persie still managed to claim the Golden Boot award in May.
His nearest rival was Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, who looks increasingly likely to be leaving Anfield for pastures new. The Uruguayan striker was given a 10-match ban after biting defender Branislav Ivanovic when the Reds hosted Chelsea, causing him to miss the last four games of the season. He had previously only been missing once in the league for Brendan Rodger’s side, ending his campaign on 23 goals.
Gareth Bale was next closest on 21 goals. An impressive tally considering that the Welshman spends most of his time on the wing for Spurs rather than as a centre forward, it could have been more had he not missed five league games due to injury.
For the second season in a row, van Persie appeared in all 38 of his club’s Premier League games. He couldn’t quite match the target of 30 league goals he set during his time at Arsenal, although he did manage that number in all competitions during his first year at Old Trafford. Coincidentally, he played 48 times for United, which is exactly the same total number of games he played in his final season with the Gunners.
Even though he played more games than his nearest competition and went through a concerning goal drought, van Persie still came out as the best striker in the Premier League. Expect nothing to change this season.
