Robin van Persie believes Arsenal are "unbeatable" and on course to win both the Champions League and the FA Cup. Arsène Wenger's young, fast-evolving side have not been beaten in the Premier League for 16 games and their Dutch striker suggested they currently feel invincible.
"I feel we are unbeatable," Van Persie said. "The quality is there but, also, more importantly, so is the winning mentality. We are just not dropping points any more. We are not doing those silly things any more which have cost us earlier in the season. We have to keep on thinking positively all the time, though.
"Earlier this season we weren't doing that enough but, right now, we are doing it – and look at the results. If we carry on in the same way we will not drop any more silly points and who knows what will happen in the league, the FA Cup and the Champions League? We are certainly coming into great form at just the right time. I go out there thinking we can win every game.
"My target for the rest of the season is to win the FA Cup, win the Champions League and qualify for the Champions League again – it is that simple. We cannot aim below that."
Arsenal have not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup and the Dutchman stressed the importance he places on honours, while being careful not to suggest he is looking for a move: "I'm not happy just playing; I want to win things and I think that is a good thing. I am not a guy who gives up easily. I have a contract until 2011 and I will respect that. About my future, I can't say much more."
Van Persie seems to be drawing added incentive from what might have been in the title race. "I still look back at the dropped points from earlier in the season and it hurts," he conceded. "We are 10 points behind Manchester United and six points behind Chelsea. They were silly mistakes and we lost some silly points against teams who we should have beaten. It is hard to take but that is football. It is a tough lesson to learn."
However, Wenger's bright young things seem quick on the uptake and Van Persie was full of praise for his improving strike partner Nicklas Bendtner, a player until recently dismissed as "not quite up to it" in some quarters.
"He's got such big potential," he said. "It's incredible he's only 21. The things that he can do already are frightening. But I think what I like most about him is his awareness and his all-round game. At one point in the second half in our win at Newcastle on Saturday he gave me a pass which not many other players would have seen. It was brilliant.He just saw it. Those sort of things really say a lot about what sort of player he is. He reads the game very well. He thinks it but more importantly he can produce it as well. He has a great future, no doubt about it."
Wenger has likened Abou Diaby, Arsenal's emerging central midfielder, to Patrick Vieira and Van Persie enthused: "Abou Diaby was excellent at Newcastle, especially in the second half. He is so strong and the way he scored the goal was typical of the strength he has got. He is very young and he will only get better."
