Nicklas Bendtner Insists He Is as Professional as Any Arsenal Player

Nicklas Bendtner insists he is doing all he can to help Arsenal lift silverware this season.

The Danish striker, who recently posted a terrible performance during the Gunners’ 2-0 Capital One Cup loss to Chelsea, suggests he should be treated like any other player, as reported by Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail Online:

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At the moment I'm doing everything I can to help the team win trophies, as we all are.

I'm still here, I'm not sad about it. I don't regret it. I'm here, part of the group and as professional as any other player.

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Bendtner, who is yet to start a Premier League or Champions League game for Arsenal this season, continues to disappoint when Arsene Wenger gives him an opportunity to shine.

The Frenchman stuck with his misfiring striker for 67 minutes during the loss to Chelsea. During this time, he completed just 78 percent of his passes, no successful dribbles and was dispossessed once. He also failed to hit the target with his only shot, per WhoScored.

The 25-year-old’s self-belief has often bordered on cocky. As noted by Jonathan Liew of The Telegraph (subscription required), the frustrating forward’s abilities aren’t hampered by a lack of confidence:

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The truism about Bendtner is however good he becomes, he will still never be as good as he thinks he is. A few years ago Arsenal’s sports psychologist Jacques Crevoisier revealed that in testing, Bendtner had scored 10 out of a possible nine in the category called "self-perceived competence".

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Despite putting up an impenetrable exterior, Bendtner’s overall play is riddled with deficiencies and consistent sloppiness.

He underlined his potential with a brace in Denmark’s recent 2-2 draw against Italy, but once again, he was unable to establish a run of form. With Arsenal now out of the Capital One Cup, Bendtner is unlikely to receive significant playing time throughout the rest of the season.

Wenger is set to strengthen his attacking options in January, per Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail Online, and is likely to move Bendtner on before too long.

The player’s off-field behaviour has grabbed more headlines than his goalscoring ability. As summarised by Phil Duncan's Daily Mail Online piece, Bendtner's willingness to show his pants in a number of situations has previously landed him in hot water.

With Arsenal currently sitting atop the Premier League, it’s time the Emirates boss finally cuts the deadwood loose.

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