Van Persie is back for Arsenal and he's set to dazzle

Back from a two-month layoff, Robin van Persie looks to regain the form that saw him open the year with seven goals in 12 games. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Four months into the season, Arsenal is the story of the English Premier League. The Gunners were written off in August mostly due to their youth and the departure of ex-captain and scoring machine Thierry Henry. But Arsenal has shocked everyone and is now in first place with just one loss through 17 matches and playing some of the most attractive soccer in the world.

Now Arsenal gets a lift from the return of prolific striker Robin van Persie, back in the lineup after a two-month injury layoff. World Soccer caught up with the 24-year-old Dutchman.

World Soccer: After such a long period out with injury last season, you seemed like you were playing on another level until this last knee injury. How do you explain that?

Van Persie: It has been a difficult process but a good one and I'm pleased with how things have turned out. It's often the way that when you are on song, you stay at that level and it's very hard to knock you off your stride. But if you're in a negative spiral it can seem that whenever you shoot it's always just over the bar or just wide.

When things are going well for you, even the shots that should go wide somehow manage to find the net. That was the way things were for me before the last World Cup. I did everything possible to try and stay in that vibe, but I also knew that it would have to end at some point.

At the moment I got injured I was playing the best football of my life, but then everything changed in a fraction of a second. I suddenly found myself sidelined for six months. After the injury, I approached every training session and every match with the attitude that it could be my last. I'm still very conscious of that and that's why my attitude these days is: Make this your best match. Of course, you hope that nothing happens, but if it did then I want to have the feeling that I finished with a good performance.

World Soccer: Did you expect to reach such a high level so soon after returning from injury?

Van Persie: No. I discussed it with Arsène Wenger. I was keen to have a slower build-up to matches, and that served me very well. I started preparations for the season two weeks earlier than the rest of the squad so, physically, I was ahead of them during the preseason matches. In the first four of those games I played for half an hour each time, and then I felt ready for a full match. That came against Inter, and I took a lot of satisfaction from it. I scored a good goal out of nothing and generally played really well.

But what was more important was that the team played such good football. When you have that kind of positive atmosphere you can keep going for ever. It was fantastic and confirmation that with our really good football we can beat any top team. This was the answer we needed as a group. I'm fully convinced that we can achieve really big things with this group of players.

World Soccer: There seems to be a great belief within the squad at the moment.

Van Persie: Even during training there is an unbelievable drive and ambition to win, whatever form the session takes. Everything is so competitive, nobody wants to lose. This is a crucially important factor, something you will always find in a team that is capable of achieving big things. We can do that against Chelsea, Manchester United and whoever else.

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