Gooner Talk

Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner has won Gooner Talk’s Player of the Month award for September after his fantastic contribution in the Arsenal side.

Bendtner – who struck up a magnificent strike partnership with Mexican Carlos Vela – joined Arsenal from FC Copenhagen during the summer of 2005.

In August 2006, he moved to Birmingham City on a season-long loan, but returned to the Gunners in time for the 2007/08 campaign after impressing at St Andrews.

He scored his first league goal against arch-rivals Tottenham in December 07, and continued his impressive development for the rest of the season.

How Nicklas won the award

Nicklas started the month rested after sustaining a knock whilst on International duty for Denmark. He quickly bounced back from that and made an impact after coming on for Robin van Persie against Dynamo Kiev.

Little did he know, Bendtner’s biggest impact was to happen in the next two games. Against Bolton Wanderers, the 21-year-old capitalised on some slack defending to tap home past Jussi Jaaskelainen. Earlier on in that game, he set up Emmanuel Adebayor who subsequently smashed his shot straight onto the post.

Next up, was Sheffield United at home in the Carling Cup. Out came the young Guns and Bendtner was welcome back into the side along with strike partner Carlos Vela. The latter grabbed a hatrick while Bendtner scored a brace, the first with a placed finish outside the box, while the second was scored after a neat backheel from Aaron Ramsey.

Arsenal’s defeat to Hull City was the worst result of the season so far, and Nicklas managed to catch the eye with some decent passing and play, unfortunately the score didn’t change and the players went in disappointed after a poor days work.

Against Porto, Nicklas came on and immediately made an impact by winning a penalty. Freddy Guarin hacked down the Dane and up stepped Emmanuel Adebayor who finished with aplomb.

A fantastic month for Bendtner, and there’s surely more to come from the young Danish starlet.

Arsenal kicked-off match day two of their Champions League campaign with a tie against FC Porto of Portugal.

The Gooners inside Ashburton Grove anticipated a much improved encounter than the poor performance and 3 points dropped against Premier League newcomers Hull City last weekend.

Arsene Wenger’s ’sweeping changes’ involved replacing Emmanuel Eboue with Samir Nasri, other than that, the team was unchanged from Saturday’s loss to Phil Brown’s Tigers.

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Arsene Wenger said he felt “physically sick” after Sunday’s shock defeat by Hull City but the Arsenal manager will be hoping to get his European campaign back on track with a win against Portuguese Champions FC Porto this evening.

The Gunners’ only previous home defeat to a newly promoted side was against West Ham in February 2006: in their next European game they recorded a famous 1-0 win at Real Madird to set them on the road to the quarter-finals and eventually the final in Paris.

France midfielder Samir Nasri returns to the squad for tonights clash with Porto.

Nasri has been out with a knee injury since late August but is available to face the Portuguese side.

Alex Song (hip) joins Tomas Rosicky, Abou Diaby, Amaury Bischoff and Eduardo in the treatment room.

Arsene Wenger has said he will make changes following the shock defeat by Hull, with Mikael Silvestre among those hoping for starts.

Predicted Starting XI

Almunia
Sagna – Toure – Gallas – Silvestre
Eboue – Fabregas – Denilson – Nasri
Adebayor – Bendtner

Match Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 FC Porto

Catch all the post-match reaction and player ratings here on Gooner Talk seconds after the final whistle.

Leave your views and predictions of tonights game in the comments section below.

Arsene Wenger says he would not be afraid to play any of his young Gunners in the Premier League after Arsenal demolished Sheffield United 6-0 in the Carling Cup.

Wenger had named a side with an average age of only 19 – and was not disappointed as the youngsters stepped up to the challenge to leave the Championship side in tatters.

Mexican striker Carlos Vela grabbed a hat-trick, while Nicklas Bendtner hit a first-half double and 16-year-old Jack Wilshere weighed in with his first senior goal.

There were also impressive displays from Wales Under-21 midfielder Aaron Ramsey and aspiring full-back Kieran Gibbs, which all left the Arsenal manager confident the club’s future is in safe hands.

He said:

“The team showed a good mixture of talent and a mature collective spirit to play football the way we want to play.

“The way the team remained focused and they looked a complete team. I am very proud of that.

“We looked strong in every individual position, and that takes a lot of hard work.”

Wenger added:

“We knew about Bendtner, but we discovered more about Vela. He is a clinical finisher.

“I integrated Wilshere into the first team sometimes last season when he was 15 and he did not look out of place and it is natural for him.

“I was not surprised because I see them every day, but you never know on a big stage how they play.

“They did that with the belief we want them to have and the spirit we want then to have.

“Now for us the biggest challenge is to keep them together and slowly integrate them into the first team. Some have done that already.

“These players do not play like kids. They play with intelligence, talent and with spirit.

“They can beat many teams and I would not be scared to play any individual in the Premier League.”

Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger named his youngest ever team for the third round clash with Championship side Kevin Blackwell’s side and it certainly paid off. There will be more to come from Wenger’s young Gunners and I personally, can’t wait.

Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger named his youngest ever team for Tuesday evening’s third round Carling Cup clash with Championship side Sheffield United.

Wales Under-21 midfielder Aaron Ramsey, 16-year-old Jack Wilshere, reserve team captain Gavin Hoyte, Kieran Gibbs and Mark Randall all started, while first-year scholar Emmanuel Frimpong, also 16, and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 17, were on the bench at Emirates Stadium.
 

Arsenal Starting XI

Fabianski
G.Hoyte – Djourou – Song – Gibbs
Wilshere – Ramsey – Randall – Merida
Bendtner – Vela
 
Sheff Utd:

Kenny
Halford – Morgan – Kilgallon – Naysmith
Cotterill – Speed – Quinn – Montgomery
Beattie – Webber

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Nacer Barazite hopes his loan spell at Derby will help him to follow Nicklas Bendtner into Arsenal’s first team.

Dutch youngster Barazite has impressed since moving to Pride Park last month, dropping down to the Championship in a bid to gain some valuable experience.

Bendtner enjoyed a similar education at Birmingham during the 2006/07 season before breaking into Arsene Wenger’s plans at the Emirates Stadium.

Barazite – who shares the same initials as the Denmark forward – is keen to emulate Bendtner and was not concerned about joining a club which had been relegated from the Premier League.

“He (Bendtner) was like me, almost at the first team. Arsenal sent him to the Championship with Birmingham and he went back there after doing really well and now he is in the first team,” Barazite, 18, told the Evening Telegraph.

“I was not worried that Derby had a difficult time last season. The Premier League is a very difficult level and Derby is a good club. I talked with Arsene Wenger and he said I was doing really well at the club and the final step was learn some other sides of the game and the best thing to do that was to go to the Championship.”

You can keep up to date with all the latest news and analysis on Arsenal’s reserve & youth sides over at Young Guns. Not forgetting Nicklas Bendtner News – the number one blog on all things Bendtner.