Gunners end goal drought with win over West Brom
Nicklas Bendtner stole the show at the Hawthorns
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Tuesday, 03, Mar 2009 09:56
Nicklas Bendtner scored twice for Arsenal this evening as they kept their Champions League hopes alive with a 3-1 win over West Brom.
After four consecutive goalless Premier League draws, it took Arsenal only six minutes to break their duck this evening. West Brom failed to clear a corner and Denilson laid the ball on to Bendtner who scuffed his shot, but it was still enough to beat Scott Carson.
The Arsenal lead however lasted only two minutes and Arsene Wenger would have been infuriated by the way they conceded. The Gunners defence somehow allowed a 25-yard free-kick from Brunt to go though their penalty area and all the way into the back of their net.
West Brom manager Tony Mowbray is known admirer of the Arsenal style of passing football and as a result both teams made their fair share of good chances in an exciting game.
The Gunners almost retook the lead as a miscued Emmanuel Eboue fell into the path of Bendtner, but the Danish striker fired his shot over the bar. At the other end, Luke Moore, who had impressed as a sub against Everton on Saturday, saw a header go over the bar and forced Manuel Almunia into good save.
But it was the visitors who regained the lead as Toure headed home an inswinging free-kick from Andrey Arshavin after 25 minutes. Five minutes later Arsenal scored their third as the West Brom defence stood still as Toure floated in a ball into their half and Bendtner controlled the ball on his knee before finishing past Carson.
Bendtner came close to completing his hat-trick at the start of the second-half as he cut-inside from the right-wing and unleashed a shot which came back off the post.