Chelsea v Arsenal

The odds on Chelsea winning the big clash of the titans on Saturday (7/10 Ladbrokes) look decidedly ungenerous; it’s a shame because it has to be the most likely outcome. Arsenal may have won seven of their last eight, but that owes greatly to the generosity of the fixture list. Six of those games were played at the Emirates, and included opponents Gunners’ fans would always expect to beat - Bolton, Stoke, Sunderland. Olympiakos, Bolton and Shrewsbury. The run seems less impressive on analysis, doesn’t it?

With Arsenal having only mustered a solitary point on their league travels, the 3/1 (Bet365)  on a draw looks less tempting than it really should. Instead, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the smart money again looks to ride on Robin Van Persie. This isn’t the first time Wenger’s talisman has been tipped in recent weeks, and if he continues his current electrifying form, it won’t be the last. At a best price of 12/5 (StanJames) in the ‘anytime goalscorer’ market, the Dutch star is being undervalued because of the team he represents. Quite simply, he shouldn’t be.

Van Persie has proven categorically that he will continue to score goals even while the team shows huge vulnerability. He has scored six in his last four league outings; his brace against Stoke made it a remarkable 25 in 26 league appearances in 2011. Arsenal always look like conceding, but more importantly for this bet, they always look like scoring as well. And when they do, more often than not it’s the 28-year-old who gets his name up in lights. Wenger has expressed confidence that his star man will sign a new contract, and Van Persie does seem pretty happy in north London.

All things considered, we shouldn’t be offered much longer than evens on this striker finding the net in any match at present; at 12/5 (StanJames) we have a bargain.