Persie’s piss-take in past for Toon
ROBIN VAN PERSIE has been told that Newcastle have already moved on from his amazing Toon taunts.
And Hatem Ben Arfa insists the Geordies won’t waste their time worrying about the bad blood caused by the Dutchman’s shocking post-match antics at the Emirates on Monday.
Alan Pardew’s men were left fuming as the striker goaded them after Arsenal’s last-gasp victory – singling out fellow Holland star Tim Krul for special treatment in an ugly end to a crucial 2-1 win.
The feuding pair had to be kept apart, and trouble flared afterwards in the tunnel. But Newcastle goal scorer Ben Arfa claims they’ve already forgotten Van Persie’s childish after-match behaviour.
The French midfielder insisted: “He’s not our problem and we can’t waste energy on him. For us it’s all finished and we’ll just have to keep our heads up high.”
Dented
Ben Arfa backed Toon to channel their frustration at Thomas Vermaelen’s heartbreaking stoppage-time winner into their unlikely tilt to secure a Europa League place in May.
Newcastle remain sixth and the recalled 25-year-old added: “All our energy must all go into our last 10 games. We must concentrate on getting as many points as we can to try to finish in a European place.”
A four-match winless run has dented the Geordies’ top-six hopes and Demba Ba is determined not to be left reflecting on what might have been at the end of the season.
Toon’s 16-goal top scorer insisted: “We have to finish the season as strongly as we can. We don’t want the good work we’ve done in the first seven months of the season to go to waste.”