Bendtner, who has missed much of the season after surgery on a hernia, put the Gunners ahead against Sunderland at the weekend after being given the responsibility of leading the line in the 2-0 win.
Wenger resisted the urge to delve into the transfer market in January as the team struggle without the injured Robin van Persie. He has consistently maintained his belief in Bendtner, even when the player has struggled for form.
“That faith is very important and all I have to do now is show him he made the right choice,” the 21-year-old said.
“I am sure he has and I have to show that on the pitch. I have been ready to carry the fans’ hopes for some time – it is nothing new to me.
“It has been very frustrating because I set myself a target at the start of the season. Obviously, because of my injury it has been really difficult to make that target.
“It is nice to be back scoring again and I need to score two goals in all the remaining games to reach that.”
quite confident
Wenger was pleased with Bendtner’s contribution against the Black Cats and praised the qualities of the player.
“He has common sense, accepts observations and tries to use them in a positive way,” he told the club’s official website. “He has a good team attitude.
“He is quite confident, I must say. But that’s not a bad thing for a striker. There’s nothing wrong with it as long as you’re able to prove your confidence on the pitch.
“And just because you’re confident doesn’t mean you don’t need encouragement from others on the pitch.”
Wenger played down comparisons with the leading striker from the other title chasing sides – Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba.
The Frenchman added: “He’s 21 years old and with different qualities. He’s very strong, is 1.94m tall and very intelligent. He can improve a lot but how much he can improve is down to how hard he will work.
“He had a good game on Saturday in fairness to him and we hope that we will click in the final third.”
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“That faith is very important and all I have to do now is show him Wenger he made the right choice” – Nicklas Bendtner
Credits: PremierLeague.com
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