Nicklas Bendtner
Arsene Wenger insists he always believed in Nicklas Bendtner's abilities.

Arsene Wenger has claimed he always believed in Nicklas Bendtner after the striker scored his first league goal for Arsenal since 2010 in the victory over Hull City.

Bendtner scored within two minutes to help the Gunners claim another win in their mid-week fixture as the north London club maintained their four point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

The Denmark international was thought to be on his way out of the Emirates with his current deal finishing next summer but Wenger has talked up Bendtner's abilities, insisting he always believed that the hitman would produce for Arsenal.

"He has the stature, he has good technical quality, he has quite good pace," he told reporters. "Look, we had him as a boy of 15 or 16 and I made him sign a long contract twice so that means I always believed in his qualities."

On Bendtner's contract situation, the manager confirmed that talks are yet to begin over a new deal, explaining: "At the moment we are not as far as that."

Bendtner has been very public in his hopes to leave Arsenal with the 25 year old recently revealing he is working particularly hard with the hopes of securing a move away from the club in January.

The Denmark international had been widely booed by supporters in recent games but had mainly only been used late in games and was finally able to show what he can do from the start.

And after his impressive performance last night Wenger may well decide that Bendtner is a genuine alternative to Olivier Giroud who had been seen as the only real option for the Arsenal boss.