Robin Van Persie to Reach New Heights for Arsenal in 2011-12

In a fall 2009 interview with French sporting newspaper L'Equipe, Robin van Persie noted that growing up in Rotterdam, he was much more comfortable using his right foot when playing football. But one day, that all changed. He simply laced up his boots, grabbed the nearest soccer ball and went to a wall, where he proceeded to "bosser" (dedicate himself toward improving) his left foot through hours upon hours of repetition.

It was the kind of entrepreneurship and work rate that has seen van Persie rise from an unproven youngster within the Arsenal ranks to one of the premier strikers in the world.

His physical attributes aren't altogether menacing—he's not the possessor of blinding pace, or untold quickness—but he has a supreme technical quality and a near transcendental command of his left foot, which has uncorked wonders into various nets throughout the years. Coupled with his masterful deception, the current Gunners No. 10 can be quite a handful.

Arsenal fans may feel a nostalgic pull toward another Dutch master who graced Arsenal's colors while watching van Persie play.

Though he will likely never reach the same pantheon of greatness enjoyed by Dennis Bergkamp, the two players are similar in their fastidious approach to the game. They wow through guile and technical proficiency, electing to out-think defenders as opposed to outrunning them.

One needed only watch a brilliant bit of back-to-goal industry by van Persie during Saturday's Swansea City match to see his evolution as a central striker in North London.

Receiving a pass with his back to goal on the left edge of the penalty area, van Persie quickly turned his defender and launched himself on a two-dribble burst that gave him just enough freedom to unleash a venomous right-footed drive that sailed past a helpless Michel Vorm, only to ping the wrong side of the far post.

With the run of goal-scoring form he's enjoyed in 2011, you rather expected a kinder rebound off the woodwork.

Having won the UEFA Cup at the ripe age of 17 with club side Feyenoord in 2002—over a Tomas Rosicky-led Borussia Dortmund, no less—van Persie arrived at Ashburton Grove in 2004 as a relatively unknown left winger.

He possessed bundles of talent, surely—watch those videos against Blackburn and Charlton for a foray into the realm of the sensational—but inconsistency plagued him. Considered petulant and oft-injured, critics wondered if van Persie would ever capitalize upon his vast reserves of innate talent. He has never played more than 24 Premier League games in a season for Arsenal—the result of various knocks suffered throughout the years.

Still, there is no denying his obvious quality. And to his credit, he has matured with age, crediting (as so many often do) starting a family with grounding him. It has coincided wonderfully with his transformation as a footballer.

That straight red card incurred away at Stoke in 2008-09 for knocking down keeper Thomas Sorensen seems a forgotten memory now. Though the Dutchman spent another lengthy spell on the sideline last season after picking up a nasty injury against Blackburn, he returned in early 2011 with a goal-scoring flourish and hasn't looked back since.

Scorer of 22 goals in 26 matches (all competitions) for Arsenal in 2010-11, including a fantastic streak in which he managed at least a goal in 18 of 20 fixtures, he was nearly unstoppable.

He "only" has one goal in four league matches thus far in 2011-12, but a four-goal blitzkrieg against San Marino during a recent European qualifier with Holland seems to have fired van Persie's goal-scoring jones back into life.

Uninjured since his aforementioned comeback, he looks to have (hopefully) finally found a vein of consistency at age 28.

With Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri having left Arsenal and defender Thomas Vermaelen out for at least two months with an ankle problem, van Persie has become one of the unquestioned leaders of the North London side.

Should he manage to remain healthy this term—and, given the type of football he's been playing at the moment—he could make quite a case for mention as one of the premier European performers this term.

A result tomorrow in Arsenal's first Champions League group match against Borussia Dortmund would do wonders for that promotional campaign.