Robin van Persie closes calender record

Robin van Persie scores against Aston Villa

After a stunning year, the Arsenal striker is now just three goals away from the Alan Shearer's landmark of 36 Premier League goals in a calender year. Robin van Persie's strike in Arsenal's 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Wednesday evening made it 34 in 2011 to take him alongside Thierry Henry's 2004 tally.

The 28-year-old Dutchmen needs 3 more goals in just two matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 27 December and Queens Park Rangers on New Year's Eve to overtake Shearer's mark.

Van Persie didn't missed a single match this year and lifted the Gunners after a poor start of the season.

 "I didn't miss one Premier League game [this season]," he says. "So when you have a good run and you feel fresh and fit you try things, you take more risks here and there than, for example, just coming back from injury.

"As a striker it is really important to have a go – if you feel sometimes to have a chip instead of shooting. If you look at my performances I take more risks now because I know with the team behind me I will always get more chances. It's not that I only get one chance normally; I always get one, two, three, sometimes four in a game. That sort of tells me that I can take a risk here and there."