Arsene Wenger believes Nicklas Bendtner his back on track after the under-fire Arsenal striker sealed a precious 1-0 win over Bolton.
Just five minutes remained at the Emirates stadium on Saturday when Bendtner slid in to convert Robin van Persie’s chipped cross and ensure Arsenal remained just three points behind third-placed Aston Villa in the Premier League table.
The goal capped an eccentric cameo from Bendtner, who had come on as a 75th-minute substitute. The Dane has never been the most popular of figures in north London and he further tested the patience of the Arsenal faithful by missing a straightforward header and producing a string of misplaced passes.
But his adroit late finish thrilled Wenger, who blamed Bendtner’s previous shortcomings on the freezing conditions in north London.
“Nicklas didn’t have the best passing game but he could have scored twice and that is what strikers are all about,” he said.
“But it’s so cold for the subs that when you come on it’s not easy. It takes time to get in the game and he had no time for that as he came on with just 15 minutes to go,” Wenger said.
“It has been difficult this season. He had injury problems with his ankle and it affected his game. But now in training he looks sharp again. He had some difficult periods but now slowly he is getting back to where he needs to be,” he said.
Bendtner will not score a more crucial goal all season. Arsenal had laid siege to the visitors’ goal for virtually the entire afternoon but were continually frustrated, with van Persie hitting a post and Emmanuel Adebayor seeing a goal-bound shot blocked by Andy O’Brien.
A draw would have inflicted another serious dent in the Gunners’ hopes of clinging onto their elite ‘Big Four’ status in the English game - a position which was further threatened earlier in the day by Villa’s win over West Bromwich - but Wenger is refusing to panic.
“I’m not too concerned about that [Villa’s form],” he said. “We are already swimming enough against the stream without dropping points at home against Bolton.”
“I was pleased with the players. We were solid defensively and now we have won three times 1-0 which is a good basis for us,” Wenger said.
Gary Megson, the Bolton manager, was philosophical at seeing his side’s valiant rearguard breached at the last. His greater concerns lie in strengthening a squad so threadbare that he could name just three outfield players on his substitutes’ bench.
His resources were further depleted when Johann Elmander limped off with a hamstring injury while another, Mustapha Riga, reacted angrily to being taken off just 40 minutes after coming on as a substitute.
The midfielder stormed down the tunnel, refusing to even look at his manager.
Also on Saturday it was:
• Aston Villa 2, West Brom 1
• Everton 2, Hull 0
• Middlesbrough 1, Sunderland 1
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or