Return of the Deadeye: Robin Van Persie Will Boost Arsenal's Title Hopes

Following Chelsea's uninspired win at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal have a must-win fixture on Wednesday in the form of the latest installment in the North London derby.

With an injury-plagued roster that have struggled to score of late, however, can the Gunners avoid a disappointing eighth draw in their last ten league matches at White Hart Lane?

Spurs' Woes

On the heels of a morale-killing 2-0 defeat at the hands of last-place Pompey in Sunday 's FA Cup semifinal, 'Arry's boys do not look like the same side that sat as high as fourth in the Premiership three months into the season.

After a setback in training, Aaron Lennon will definitely not be making his first start of the calendar year against Arsenal and may have ruled himself out of Fabio Capello's England roster for the World Cup.

With Wilson Palacios on a two match ban and Niko Kranjcar and Jermaine Jenas out, Spurs will be missing valuable play-makers.

Though captain Ledley King is set to return from injury, he will likely not be in top form and it will be interesting to see what Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott can do to test the fitness of his recently recovered thigh and chronically inflamed knees.

Despite all their injuries, Spurs still have teeth.

Young Gareth Bale has been a revelation on the left side this season, Luka Modric and Roman Pavlyuchenko should both play and Peter Crouch will provide his customary matchup problem for Arsenal's undersized defense.

Van Persie Eager to See the Pitch

The big news for Arsenal heading into the game is the expected return of their elite, sharp-shooting center forward, Robin van Persie.

Van Persie began the '09-'10 campaign in promising form, with 7 goals and 7 assists in only 11 matches before he succumbed to a long-term ankle injury. Out since November 14th, what kind of return can Gooners expect him to make?

After playing less-than-fit Cesc Fabregas in the second leg at Barcelona and taking flak from France manager Raymond Domenech for rushing William Gallas back for the same match, manager Arsene Wenger acknowledged that "there is always a gamble in this kind of decision. But in [van Persie's] case we have been a bit more cautious."

He continued to say that van Persie "looks sharp, fit and it may be premature for him to start but he wants to play.

"In training it looks as if he has never been away."

Taken with a grain or two of salt to compensate for le Prof's optimistic 'manager speak,' what seems important is that a) Wenger acknowledges "it may be premature" for van Persie to play a full match, but that b) Van Persie "wants to play."

Van Persie has been out a long time and is aching to get back on the pitch. That's the kind of player he is. But while he's rearing to go, his body might not be up to the task yet.

Performing on the training field and being cleared by physicians do not compensate for missing almost fives months of experience in one of the fastest and most skilled leagues in Europe.

It will take time for Van Persie to return to form and Wenger is right to warn fans that it would be "premature" for Van Persie to go a full 90 minutes.

The Dutchman should come on as a second half substitute when, even if he is not completely match fit, his mere presence will affect the calculations of the Spurs' back four.

The supply of goals has been uncertain at times in van Persie's absence, but of late, Arsenal seem to have settled upon a reliable lineup of young attackers who look more comfortable with every start.

Filling Fabregas' shoes would be hard for anyone and Samir Nasri certainly struggled in the role last Tuesday at the Camp Nou. With a week since that encounter and an injury-riddled Spurs defense to contend with, however, the ever more experienced youngster should relish this opportunity to set up the striking duo of Bendtner and Walcott.

Though Alex Song will be out, Arsenal can count on the solid contribution of Abou Diaby, Denilson, and the versatile Emmanuel Eboue to help press the attack forward.

Scoring in a hostile environment will be the key to Arsenal's success. History and injuries are against them, but their recent form and the concurrent mediocrity of their foe give them a good chance to come away with three points.

The Prediction

This iteration of the derby carries heightened appeal because each side holds onto the slim hope of achieving its own pre-season goal—a title for Arsenal and Champion's League qualification for Spurs—and knows that their own victory would turn the screws on their most hated rivals.

Will the Gunners celebrate the Feast of St. Totteringham with a romp at White Hart Lane, or will the little cockerels plop a big white one on Arsenal's title hopes?

Despite their Champion's League exit, Arsenal have played with a lot of heart recently. Even in matches where they should have won by a  more lopsided margin, the Gunners played hard and deserve credit for getting the job done with a makeshift lineup.

Now, they face a side that are possibly more undermanned than they are, a side whose wave of early season European enthusiasm has faded, leaving them treading water and just hoping not to sink.

Arsene Wenger smells blood. Expect his boys to be up for the match.

1-0 to the Arsenal at the half. Van Persie comes on to net a clincher for a 2-0 final as Arsenal keep the pressure on Chelsea.

Come on, you Gunners!