Persie leads Arsenal
Robin van Persie scored both goals as Arsenal came from behind to win 2-1 at Norwich City in the Premier League's early kick-off game on Saturday.
The double strike saw the Netherlands international become only the fifth forward to have scored 30 Premier League goals in a calendar year.
He has now scored 31 in 29 games and is closing in on Thierry Henry's Arsenal best of 34 and Alan Shearer's overall record of 36.
No wonder that many regard the Arsenal captain as the best front-man in the world, although he was controversially omitted from a shortlist of 23 players for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award.
Arsenal dominated the early exchanges and created plenty of chances to take the lead.
Van Persie spurned the first after just a few seconds with a mis-hit effort across goal after Theo Walcott had crossed from the right.
Walcott, the England winger, came close himself 10 minutes later with an exhibition of skill that allowed him to get past Marc Tierney in the Norwich box.
The shot that followed had the beating of John Ruddy in the home goal but centre-back Russell Martin was able to get back just in time to stick out a leg and deflect the ball over.
It seemed that it would only be a matter of time before Arsenal did find the net but suddenly Paul Lambert's Canaries were ahead via an extremely avoidable goal.
Per Mertesacker had plenty of time to deal with Tierney's hopeful delivery into the Arsenal penalty area but the Germany international somehow allowed Morison, Norwich's only front-man, to make up ground and take the ball off him.
And as the tall Mertesacker toppled to the ground Wales international Morison, who was a non-league player only two years ago, went on to slot past Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Martin, converted from full-back to centre-back earlier in the season, cleared another effort off the line soon afterwards, this time to deny Gervinho, the Ivory Coast forward.
Yet it was not long before Wenger's side were level thanks to van Persie's ninth goal in his last seven games, which arrived in the 26th minute.
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