Very rarely can just one player be credited for winning an entire tournament for his team, but Robin van Persie achieved that this season.
The deadly Dutchman currently leads the Premier League goal-scoring charts with 24 goals, picking up where he left off at Arsenal in being considered the competition’s best marksman.
But it would be incorrect to suggest van Persie’s performances alone have won Manchester United the title in the same way Maradona won the 1986 World Cup arguably off his own legendary boot (and hand).
While the 29-year-old’s season has been brilliant, his impact on winning the league goes beyond the number of goals he has scored for Manchester United.
It’s also about the number of goals he has not scored for Manchester City this season.
When City sensationally beat rivals United to the Premier League title in the dying minutes of last season, the pain felt by all connected to the Red Devils was profound.
Sir Alex Ferguson needed to make a statement of intent in the off season to reassure the club and its fans that they would not suffer the same in 2012-13.
The declaration came in the form of the £22.5 million signature of one of the world’s best strikers.
But the signing of van Persie came as an added blow for City, who were also chasing his signature.
Back in late December City boss Roberto Mancini admitted missing out on the Dutchman was a hammer blow.
“We were very close to signing him,” Mancini said.
“At this moment Robin van Persie is a very important player for United. He has scored 13 or 14 goals and it is clear he has changed their situation.
“At the moment, he is the difference between us.”
In the same way a match between two relegation strugglers or two title contenders is considered a six-pointer, the signing of van Persie was not just a boost to United, but also a huge loss to City.
The significance of securing his signature is certainly not lost on Ferguson.
“In terms of impact, he has made as big an impact as any player I can imagine,” Ferguson said this week.
As if to make crystal clear his importance to Manchester United’s title success, van Persie went and scored a hattrick against Aston Villa this week in the win that confirmed the Red Devils as Premier League champions.
All this just a day after Manchester City’s strikers failed to fire in a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham.
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