The Dutchman earned and converted a first-half penalty, but the misfiring Gunners should have had a second with Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboue both spurning golden chances.

"I think it's a good result - it was a tough game," Van Persie told ITV4.

"We had chances especially in first half, and in the second half as well we had some - but we're glad with a 1-0 win."

Asked if he thought they had done enough, Van Persie replied: "It's tight, it will be really hard (in Rome). I hope it will be enough."

Defender Kolo Toure was pleased the Gunners managed not to concede an away goal.

"We played a really strong game," he said. "It was really tough and we didn't concede, which is good for the next game.

"We hope in Rome we will achieve qualification."

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger admitted he would have liked a bigger cushion to take to Rome.

"We played well," he added on ITV4. "There was room for more goals, that's the only regret from tonight.

"We kept a clean sheet, that's important, and I felt every time we got the ball we used it well."

The Frenchman thinks his side have a big enough advantage to see them through from the second leg in Rome's Stadio Olimpico in two weeks' time.

He said: "It is enough, it's down to us to make it enough. You look at all the results at that level and they're close.

"We're the only ones who won tonight. It's better than a draw."