Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger paid tribute to "exceptional" captain Robin van Persie after the Dutchman's hat-trick in the 5-3 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Van Persie took his tally to 28 goals in 27 Premier League games as Arsenal extended their recent sequence to eight wins in their last nine matches in all competitions.

Gervinho and Theo Walcott were also on target as Arsenal recovered from falling behind twice to continue their revival following a turbulent start to the season.

Wenger said: "Robin is on fire at the moment and his class means he is taking advantage of being in a team that wants to attack a lot and create chances. The intelligence of his movement and the accuracy of his finishing is exceptional."

He added: "We needed a win here and we kept going to win the game. I felt that we had a good team performance and great spirit because when we went 2-1 down just on half-time it's very difficult.

"But we started the second half with a complete desire to keep going forward, and defensively we were much better in the second half than the first.

I hope the team can strengthen its belief with a performance like that and we can continue to focus and get stronger and stronger."

Wenger attributed Arsenal's improvement to the fact that new players brought in just before the transfer window closed in August were becoming more accustomed to his philosophy and style of play.

"We are much stronger as a unit," he said. "We got half the team in on 31 August and we had to play a qualifier for the Champions League. We had to reveal to the players the way we wanted to play and every win makes us stronger.

"The players are now getting used to the way we play and are getting stronger.

"But we have to remain humble, keep focusing and work hard together because we still have some ground to make up."

Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas denied that the Football Association investigation into allegations that John Terry racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in the Blues' previous league match at QPR had affected his captain's performance.

"Has the situation affected John? No, not at all," Villas-Boas said.

"It hasn't distracted him at all, I don't think.

"This is just defeat for a team, a very important defeat and nothing else."

The former Porto boss insisted that he will not abandon his team's attacking style despite seeing defensive frailties exposed by Arsenal.

He said: "I will not change the philosophy because it is a personal value and a club value and you should never sell this cheaply.

"It is something that makes us proud and we will stick to this philosophy. It is our way of playing. We are proud of the way we play and we just have to correct some things."

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Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the WTA Tour Championships after suffering a second straight defeat at the season-ending tournament.

The Russian was beaten by China's Na Li 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in her second White Group match to leave her with little hope of qualifying for the semi-finals.
Afterwards it was announced that she was withdrawing from the rest of the event due to an ankle injury that has troubled her in recent weeks.
"The ankle didn't recover as well as I had hoped after my first match," she said. "It limits my movement a lot and it's not something I really want to risk.
"I tried to push it as much as I could but I think it was a little too soon."
The 24-year-old had led 4-1 at one stage in the opening set and then also took the first four points in the tie break, only to then subside in a hurry.
Li surged 5-2 ahead in the second before she suffered an attack of the jitters, losing the next two games to leave her just one clear.

Composure

The French Open champion then slipped 15-40 behind in her next service game before regaining her composure, claiming victory at the first attempt when her opponent hammered a backhand return far too long.
Sharapova's early exit means that Caroline Wozniacki is now certain to finish 2011 as world number one.
However, the Dane was unable to celebrate with a victory in her match, going down 6-2 4-6 6-3 against Vera Zvonareva to leave the Red Group wide open.
Samantha Stosur, who had beaten Sharapova on the opening day of action in Istanbul, also lost on Wednesday.
The Australian was simply unable to hit the same heights as she had managed 24 hours earlier, going down 6-2 6-2 to Victoria Azarenka.
However, the reigning US Open champion could still qualify for the knockout stages, provided she gets the better of fellow grand slam winner Li in her last round-robin match.
"It was a quick turnaround, but I felt like I was ready to go," said Stosur afterwards. "It just wasn't fast or crisp enough. I felt like I got pushed around the court."
Azarenka, the fourth seed, broke four times to win in one hour and 18 minutes and take her career head-to-head record against Stosur to 5-0. She next faces Wozniacki in a crucial match for both players, on Thursday.

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Luis Suarez notched a brace as Liverpool came from behind to reach the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup at the expense of Stoke.

The Potters went ahead via a Kenwyne Jones header a minute before the interval after Jon Walters capitalised on a mistake by Sebastian Coates.
But Suarez equalised for the Reds with an exquisite finish on 54 minutes after he had nut-megged Ryan Shotton.
And the Uruguayan headed the winner with five minutes remaining from a Jordan Henderson cross.
Stoke beat the Reds 1-0 at the Britannia in the Premier League last month and both clubs named strong sides for Wednesday's renewal of hostilities.
Only Jose Reina, Jamie Carragher and Suarez remained from the Liverpool side that drew 1-1 with Norwich at the weekend, but manager Kenny Dalglish still included plenty of experience with Daniel Agger, Lucas Leiva, Maxi Rodriguez and Andy Carroll all starting.
For Stoke, Jonathan Woodgate returned after three games out with a calf injury, while Thomas Sorensen, Robert Huth, Shotton and Jones also came into the team after being among the substitutes for the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

Lively start

In a lively start, Carroll had an early chance from a corner but put his header from close range wide, before the Liverpool frontman almost played strike partner Suarez on goal but the Uruguayan was rightly given offside.
At the other end, Walters sent a curling effort from the edge of the area just over, while Carroll's ferocious effort from 25 yards drew a save from Sorensen but Suarez could not control the rebound and the ball went wide.
Shotton had a chance from eight yards but put his shot well wide before Sorensen twice denied Suarez.
Soon afterwards the Dane had to dive to his left to save a Carroll header before Carragher became the first name in the book on 21 minutes after a challenge on Matthew Etherington.
Walters had the ball in the net with a header from a Rory Delap throw in but Ryan Shawcross was adjudged to have impeded Pepe Reina.
At the other end, Martin Kelly drew a fine save from Sorensen low to his left and Shawcross then followed Carragher into the book after a late tackle on Suarez.
Jones broke the deadlock with a glancing header a minute before the interval after Walters had stolen the ball from Coates and picked him out the Trinidad and Tobago ace perfectly in the box.
Suarez had a chance to equalise in first-half injury time but shot wide as Dalglish's side went in behind at the break, with Martin Skrtel replacing Carragher in the interval.

Nut-megged

But the Uruguayan was not to be denied nine minutes after the re-start when he nut-megged Shotton before sending a curling effort past the out-stretched hand of Sorensen.
Glenn Whelan was booked soon afterwards for stopping Suarez from taking a throw in before Coates appealed in vain for a penalty following a challenge by Woodgate.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis made his first change of the night on the hour mark, bringing on former Red Jermaine Pennant for Shotton, and introduced Cameron Jerome for Etherington soon afterwards.
Craig Bellamy came on for Rodriguez and hit the post soon afterwards after a one-two with Carroll.
The Reds then won it when an unmarked Suarez headed home a Henderson cross as extra-time loomed.

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