RVP proud to be the 17th man for AFC to join the 100 club! AW "Now it will be down to consistency, Mertesacker is looking stronger & stronger he’s calm, intelligent & can lead our defense! RVP leaving? Robin is not from Barcelona!" RVP “Bergkamp is my idol!” Kroenke to talk soon! Parejo bid!

• Arsenal skipper Robin van Persie is proud to have cracked 100 goals for the club.

In the wake of his fresh-faced introduction as a mere 21-year-old, it has been some achievement for the Dutchman.

“It makes me very proud to be the 17th man in the history of Arsenal [to reach a century] - it is amazing,” the captain said. “It just gives me a very proud feeling to be a part of that history. To me it is a very special feeling.

“I have a couple of favourites. Obviously my first-ever goal against Manchester City in the Carling Cup because that is where everything started. That was special. It was an easy tap-in but it meant the world to me when it happened.

“There was one special one against Liverpool at home - a really good pass from Nasri, onto my chest, one touch towards my right foot and then I banged it in. The goal against Charlton was a special one and my goals against Chelsea.”

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was grateful for the fans' support in victory over Bolton Wanderers.

Wenger enjoyed his ovation but he insists that Arsenal still have a long way to go to complete their recovery from a poor start to the campaign.

"It's very nice [to hear the fans sing my name] because on that front we have struggled a little," Wenger said.

"It's been a long time since I could go home and relax after a game, I can tell you. I don't know [how long it has been].

"Our season started basically two weeks ago after the August 31 transfer deadline and I believe as well we paid a heavy price to knock Udinese out of the Champions League - that was very demanding for us. After that I feel this is the first time we have had a united squad together.

"We are conscious that there is a long way to go for us and Saturday's game is a little start. Now it will be down to consistency. But I would like to say on today that Per Mertesacker is looking stronger and stronger and that he is calm, intelligent and shows me that he can lead our defence."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has likened skipper Robin van Persie to Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

Van Persie brought his Arsenal goal tally to 100 when he bagged a well-taken double to help the Gunners end a difficult week on a high, with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over 10-man Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium.

"I see similarities positional-wise with Messi. He comes deep, he likes to turn up up front as well," Wenger said.

"Positional-wise he doesn't play like a real centre forward. But when you look at his movement around the box he's very intelligent, goes on diagonal runs.

"I always thought his first touch was so good that he can make a difference even in a tight space."

• Robin van Persie doesn't regard himself as an outright striker at Arsenal.

Van Persie has been the lynchpin of Arsène Wenger’s front three for some time now but admits he still does not see himself as a traditional striker.

“I don't really see it as a main striker position,” he said. “In Holland we call positions by their numbers - No 9 is the main striker and No 10 is the one just behind.

“I prefer to call myself nine-and-a-half - I like to drop off sometimes and be part of the game. I'm still a bit of a behind-the-striker player when possible.

“When Theo, Gervinho or anybody goes through I need to be there normally at the first post and do my job as a main striker.”

• Arsenal skipper Robin van Persie admits Dennis Bergkamp was his idol.

Van Persie was added to the Dutch contingent at the Club in 2004 from Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord and revealed that one of his first actions was to watch the master at work.

“The first thing I did was watch the video of Dennis' best 100 goals, and I was like, 'wow',” the striker said.

“In my first season I scored five league goals and a couple in the Carling Cup and FA Cup. I thought it would take me 10 years.

“I didn't really start to think about it until I scored my 82nd, 83rd, 84th goals and then realised I only needed 16 more to achieve that."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger knows they have contract concerns with skipper Robin van Persie.

Van Persie is understood to have sought assurances from Wenger this summer that the club's future was still bright following the sales of Fabregas and Samir Nasri, who refused to extend his contract and was sold to Manchester City.

Wenger understands why Van Persie was worried about the club's direction.

"If you're in Robin's place and you see Nasri going, Fabregas going, then you can be worried of course," Wenger said.

The club could be faced with a similar problem to the Nasri one if Van Persie does not sign an extension to his current contract, which expires in 2013, but Wenger is not concerned.

"Now he (Van Persie) is out? No, I don't think that really. Robin is not from Barcelona," Wenger quipped.

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger feels Robin van Persie is growing into his role as captain.

Van Persie struck twice in victory over Bolton Wanderers yesterday.

Wenger said: "I think he is one of these guys who develops with responsibilities. You would think he is not natural at the start but when he has the responsibility he really grows well into the role. I have observed him and he does very well.

"He does not talk a lot to the other players because he is not a talker but he speaks his mind."

• Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke will break his silence with fans soon.

Kroenke, 64, has been dubbed “Silent Stan” for his refusal to discuss his plans despite owning 66.6 per cent of the club.

With more and more fed up fans favouring a possible takeover by Uzbek Alisher Usmanov, Kroenke’s vowed to address the issues faced by manager Arsene Wenger and the Gunners’ board.

A source said: “Mr Kroenke should provide answers to questions that fans and shareholders are asking.”
But season ticket holder Chris Adsett said: “Kroenke’s communication with fans has been scandalous.”

• Arsenal have begun talks with Thomas Vermaelen, Theo Walcott and Robin Van Persie over a new contracts.

The defender’s contract runs out in 2013, meaning the club would be forced to sell him by next summer if they wanted any financial return.

Talks with Vermaelen are at an early stage, according to a source close to negotiations.

• Arsene Wenger is lining up a £7million move for Valencia midfielder Daniel Parejo in January. The mail says Arsenal representatives were in Spain last week to meet the 22-year-old’s agent.

It is reported that central midfielder Parejo is a graduate of Real Madrid’s academy and also had a spell at QPR three years ago before joining Valencia this summer. But Parejo is yet to feature for his new club and wants to return to England.