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Van Persie certain United will stumble

Robin van Persie is confident Arsenal can catch Manchester United in the title race © Getty Images

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• Profile: Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie believes Arsenal have a great chance to win the Premier League as he is '100%' certain Manchester United will drop points before the end of the season.

The Gunners are currently five points behind Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the table, but their Dutch striker believes that is a gap that will be narrowed over the rest of the campaign as United face a series of difficult fixtures . He warned, however, that the team most focus on their own performances rather than get caught up in what their rivals are doing if they are to be successful, starting against Newcastle on Saturday.

"It is vital to just keep looking at yourself," Van Persie told Arsenal TV. "We all know United's schedule, we know Chelsea's schedule, but the main thing is to just look at our own. We have got a tough opponent now at Newcastle away, and so we only need to look at that.

"I am confident Manchester United will drop points, 100%, because they have big games coming up - they have their own derby [against Manchester City], they have games against Chelsea, other big games, so we will see what is going to happen.

"We just have to stick to ourselves and I am confident we can fight until the end."

After overcoming a series of injury problems that affected his progress last year, the 27-year-old has already notched seven goals in 2011 and is beginning to feel like his former self.

"I am feeling really happy and healthy in myself at the moment," Van Persie said. "I was right to take things quite carefully when I first came back - you have to keep in mind that I was basically injured for an entire calendar year, except for the summer.

"I'd had two big ankle injuries in the space of 12 months and needed some time to get properly fit. That is why the boss, the medical team and I chose to do things more slowly, step by step, and I think it has paid off in the end.

"Since the Chelsea game [at the end of 2010] things have really kicked on - I have become stronger in every game and every training session. Sometimes it is good to start cautiously and that was definitely the case for me."

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