He has hit 24 Premier League goals, one more than bad-boy Luis Suarez.
And for those who like their Player of the Year to be one who wins trophies, then Van Persie should clean up the individual honours.
But they have only themselves to blame because they did not have the ammunition to feed Van Persie’s ambitions. He won one FA Cup with the Gunners in eight years but now he has that league title he craved and there is surely more silverware to come.
But while he has made the difference to United, they are not just a one-man team.
United may not have been at their swashbuckling best this season but there have been significant contributions all over the pitch.
And boss Alex Ferguson is adamant this is one of the strongest squads he has ever assembled.
One man who has been there all the way with Fergie from the first Premier League title triumph in 1993 to this — the 13th — is Ryan Giggs.
Their astonishing success rate works out at almost two titles every three years.
What a treat it was to see the evergreen Giggs still doing the business at the age of 39.
And once Giggs laid on the opener for Van Persie inside two minutes there was only going to be one winner.
Wayne Rooney hit a crossfield pass to Antonio Valencia, who looked marginally offside, and the wideman returned it to Rafael. The cross from the full-back looked too deep but it was targeted for Giggs, who caressed a volley across the six-yard box and Van Persie slammed it in.
Villa could not get a moment’s breath and Rafael rattled the foot of the post from 20 yards.
Christian Benteke curled a shot just over for relegation-threatened Villa but United went straight back up the other end and bagged No 2 in the 13th minute.
Rooney’s ball over the top was a quality delivery but Van Persie’s left-foot volley from 20 yards was unbelievable as it flew beyond the helpless Brad Guzan.
That got all of us off our seats, not just Fergie.
Rooney, on his 400th appearance for United, was having a major impact in what is becoming a more regular midfield role.
For all the stick he has taken this season, United fans would not want to see him go.
And, after 33 minutes, Van Persie bagged his hat-trick.
It was a simple move but devastatingly effective, starting from the back with Rooney picking up the ball and feeding Shinji Kagawa, who in turn played it on to Giggs.
The Welshman flicked it inside to Van Persie who wriggled his way across the six-yard box and shot in off the post.
Perhaps it was inevitable that after such a high-octane first half, the second was a little flat.
United did not push on with the same intensity, knowing the title was in the bag.
But Kagawa could have made it four having done the hard bit and worked some space before he fired high into the stands.
The fans were happy to forgive him that one.
The Sun
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