Marouane Chamakh or Nicklas Bendtner: Who is More of a Clinical Striker?

The term “clinical striker” is not new to many of us, especially those who have watched great strikers in the making. You should all know that a clinical striker is a forward who has the natural instincts of scoring no matter the situation. In this period of time, I don’t think anyone can find at least 50 clinical strikers and when I mean clinical, I mean “Ronaldo De lima clinical.”

Anyway, these two strikers, Chamakh and Bendtner, haven’t showed much expertise in this field (which is very clinical of Arsenal strikers since the departure of Henry), but they have some of the necessary qualities to be good strikers. Now, the question is who is a better striker? Who is a more trustworthy striker and most importantly, who has a killer eye for goal? Let’s start with the Great Dane, Nicklas Bendtner.

Measuring 1.93 m (6'3") in height and weighing 185 lb, Nicklas Bendtner is a threat to every defense. His aerial threat and slick touches make him a beauty to watch. Bendtner’s reign in Arsenal came after a much-needed loan spell in Birmingham City, where he netted 11 goals in 42 matches at a tender age of 19.

On his return to Arsenal in the 2007/2008 season, after a couple of impressive performances in preseason matches, he was awarded with appearances in Arsenal’s campaign. His performance was really stunning, as he made use of the passes provided by the creative midfield line.

The highlight of his 2007/2008 was his first goal which he scored against Tottenham Hotspur. The goal wasn't so spectacular but the time in which he did it; Arsenal were looking for a much-needed second goal as they were being held 1-1.

Wenger decided to pull out Eboue and put in Bendtner and to the utmost surprise of every person in the stadium, the lad scored after 1.8 seconds of his entry into the game shattering the former record thanks to a Cesc Fabregas corner kick.

Bendtner’s style of play has attracted a lot of trust from fans, and also criticism.

His lack of pace has a major effect on his ability to score goals. As I said, he is a gifted striker, but once in a while underperforms due to pressure from fast defenders. In a game where a speedy Van Persie is marked out by opposing defenders, don’t expect Bendtner to run his way past them; they’ll catch up with him with their eyes closed.

Also, Bendtner shows signs of laziness on the field, especially after losing the ball. He just can’t track back. Despite all these, his body strength combined with his deadly shots make him a tall blonde Roberto Carlos.

Now, we move over to the Moroccan with the small head and funny hairdo, Marouane Chamakh.

The former Bordeux man hasn't had a bad season so far; in fact, he’s is one of the top scorers for the Gunners with 10 goals in 27 appearances. Just like Bendtner, Chamakh is also a good header of the ball. His aerial threat plus his natural goal poaching skills make him a real threat to Van Persie’s first team spot.

His style of play also makes it easy for Fabregas and Arshavin to supply him with long and short distance passes which he makes good use of. His runs are perfect and most of the time he is barely caught offside. His finishing touches are world class; his Champions League goal against Braga is a good example.

In his first season as a Gunner, the Moroccan has already gone down in Arsenal history as the man to have scored the fastest goal in the club’s history. His 38th second goal against Wolves beat Thierry Henry’s 58th second goal against Reading in 2006. Even though Chamakh has the numbers on his side, he still fails in some areas.

Firstly, He just can’t body anyone off the ball; Arsenal’s 3-2 loss to Tottenham was a woeful game for him as former Arsenal captain William Gallas bullied him off the ball in almost every encounter. His little weight and towering height shouldn’t even be an excuse (what of Peter Crouch). This is a part of his game, and he needs to serious work on.

Secondly, if the midfield doesn’t play well, Chamakh ceases to exist. He’s not as creative as the rest of the team, who already have tens of other options if a pass doesn’t go through. He is often found confused in tight corners and easily gives away the ball in such situations and this is where I think R.V.P surpasses him. Also, Chamakh is an Inzaghi type of player: he shoots only when he’s in the 18 and never outside.

Finally, I think Bendtner is a talented player with potential of becoming a formidable striker; he still needs to work on his weaknesses and gather experience from his fellow team mates. On the other hand, Chamakh, for some strange reason is actually what Arsenal needs for now, an unskillful player with a much-needed height and an eye for goal and he’s performing up to his expectations. 

Arsenal doesn’t need another R.V.P. He’ll just add to the number of times we hit the bar. For now, Chamakh is a step ahead of Bendtner mostly because of experience and much better finishing in front of goal. Also, Wenger can do Bendtner a lot of good by playing him only in the striking position, not on the wings—he’s too slow!