Bendtner May Have Missed Out On a Double Hattrick But He Must Stay at Arsenal

Arsenal may have annihilated Blackburn 4-0, but it could have easily been 10. Poor finishing from one lanky Dane in particular ensured the scoreline remained in single figures.

I have probably been the most critical of Nicklas Bendtner, and his rather unstylish hair and boots this campaign, especially when Arsenal were down. But since Christmas the Danish striker has impressed me with his maturity, effort, and attitude.

During the January transfer window there was lots of speculation that Bendtner's bright boots would be heading to West Ham, somewhere in Germany, or even Inter Milan, but now I believe he must stay at Arsenal.

During the impressive defeat of Blackburn, Bendtner was outstanding everywhere on the pitch bar the box. He continually gets involved in the play and always shows enthusiasm. He is probably one of the hardest working players in the Arsenal squad.

Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor may be sensational strikers, but they have the tendency to be lazy and disinterested. In recent weeks, Bendtner's work rate has caught my eye and its certainly something Van Persie and Adebayor tend to lack.

The only big fault for Bendtner is that his finishing is near atrocious, and he suffers from debilitating nerves when faced with an opportunity to score.

It certainly showed against Blackburn. The striker never looked settled or calm in the box and his feet seemed to be glued to the ground. The Danish international, who is Arsenal's third top scorer this campaign with an impressive 11, also made the wrong decision when a mere 12—18 yards from the box.

His yo-yo like form in the early stages of 2008-09 was what got a lot of fans and critics on his back. He produced awful performances against Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, and who can forget his horror show in the league cup quarterfinals against Burnley, where he scuffed an innumerable number of chances.

Despite this, many like myself, often forget that, like most Arsenal players, he is still at the tender age at 21, and he needs to stay at Arsenal or I feel the Gunners will regret it.