Nicklas Bendtner Double Sinks Baggies

West Brom 1 - 3 Arsenal


Barclays Premier League

Arsene Wenger last night tipped Nicklas Bendtner to finally silence the Arsenal boo-boys after the striker's brilliant brace at West Brom.

Gunners boss Wenger arrived at The Hawthorns under pressure after four successive goalless draws in the Premier League.

And mis-firing Danish forward Bendtner,21, has also felt the wrath of frustrated Arsenal fans this term with the team languishing fifth.

But Bendtner justified his recall to the visitors' starting line-up at the expense of Robin van Persie by firing Arsenal ahead.

Despite Albion levelling quickly through Chris Brunt's free-kick, Kolo Toure restored Arsenal's lead before Bendtner added another with his fifth League goal this season.

And he might have had a hat-trick when he rattled the post after the break as the Gunners stretched their unbeaten run to 14 League games.

"Bendtner looks like he is improving from month to month," said Wenger.

"I feel it is different when you are a fan of Arsenal Football Club as you compare the players with those who played five or six years ago.

"They have to accept a player so young will be better every three and then six months.

"Nicklas has shown tonight he has the talent to be an Arsenal player and he is on the right way to maturing.

"I like his presence and determined attitude and the way he took people on tonight which shows he has improved a lot." Bendtner linked up well with new strike-partner Andrey Arshavin, signed from in January for £15million from Zenit St Petersburg.

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And Wenger added: "The two strikers did well. "Arshavin is improving from game to game as well. "He has shown class and composure but he was a bit unlucky with his finishing. Overall you see the class was there though." The Gunners blew bottom club Albion away in the first half to halve the gap between themselves and fourth-placed Aston Villa, in the last Champions League spot, to three points.

They opened the scoring in the fourth minute as Denilson fed Bendtner and he easily beat Ryan Donk before curling a superb low left-foot shot into Scott Carson's bottom right hand corner.

Yet Albion were level just three minutes later as Brunt promptly lashed in low a 30-yard free-kick into the corner through Arsenal's sloppy wall.

Wenger jumped off the bench in frustration as Emmanuel Eboue cowardly turned his back on Brunt's shot.

But the visitors made it 2-1 through Arsenal captain Toure's first goal of the season as he was left unmarked in the six-yard box to head in Arshavin's free-kick in the 38th minute.

Toure then turned provider with an accurate pass over Abdoulaye Meite's head and Bendtner took one touch before rifling an angled right-foot shot past Carson in the 44th minute.

Bendtner came close to a hat-trick in the 57th minute but his left-foot shot came back off the post after he danced into the penalty area.

Wenger added: "We created as many chances tonight as we had in many games.

"We are on a long unbeaten run since November and if we had taken our chances in other games we could still be in the title race.

"But now we want to reduce the gap with Aston Villa and maybe other teams." Albion boss Tony Mowbray said: "It is a bit galling Arsenal go four games without scoring and they score within four minutes."

( James Nursey / Mirror )