Arsenal vs. Bolton: Robin Van Persie Makes His Case as the Best Striker in EPL

Robin Van Persie scored his 100th goal as an Arsenal player today in the Gunners' 3-0 win over Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates on Saturday.

With a two goals in the match, Van Persie proved why he is the best striker in the Barclays Premier League, and worthy of the Arsenal captaincy.

(Just to get this out of the way, I'm considering Manchester United star Wayne Rooney as a center forward, who plays in behind the strikers more.)

Van Persie opened the scoring just after the second half begun on a shot past Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen at the near post that was perfectly placed.

His second of the match was a striker's goal. He exquisitely touched the ball past Jaaskelainen from a cross, and gave the Arsenal supporters a rare moment of joy that has felt long overdue.

Van Persie was given the captaincy by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with former skipper Cesc Fabregas leaving this summer to join boyhood club Barcelona.

Not only has Van Persie managed to become a leader, he has become an even better scorer. Since returning from injury during the second half of last season, the Dutch international has been a scoring machine.

Van Persie has unbelievable accuracy in his shooting, but the amazing thing is the strength and power behind the shots he takes while still being accurate.

He also has the physical attributes to be successful in the Premier League. Van Persie has good height and physical strength, and is very good at jostling off defenders.

His pace is also underrated, and when all of these physical attributes combine with his elite technical skill, it's no surprise when he changes games in an instant with a fantastic goal.

Other than being injury prone earlier in his career, there are very few if any weaknesses to Van Persie's game.

RVP isn't only a striker that excels in the flow of play. He is also an excellent option on set pieces, especially free kicks in the final third.

His left-footed strikes that bend like a David Beckham-like shot are a real weapon for Arsenal in front of the opponent's goal.

Despite missing the great passing of former teammates Samir Nasri and Fabregas, Van Persie is still scoring goals, and continues to get off many shots.

Robin Van Persie is the best striker in the Premier League, and is leading Arsenal through arguably their roughest times in the club's history, and is still performing at a high level.

Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow @NicholasGoss35.