ARSENE Wenger admits that in-form striker Nicklas Bendtner can offer Arsenal an invaluable aerial dimension in the final weeks of the title race. Danish international Bendtner underlined his importance to the squad again this week with goals against Wolve

ARSENE Wenger admits that in-form striker Nicklas Bendtner can offer Arsenal an invaluable aerial dimension in the final weeks of the title race.

Danish international Bendtner underlined his importance to the squad again this week with goals against Wolves and Barcelona, taking his tally for the season to 13 goals from 28 appearances in all competitions.

Many of those goals have been clinical strikes at crucial moments in big games, and it is those qualities which have convinced his manager that Bendtner provides a potent Plan B when Arsenal need it most.

"He is important because he gives us something different," said Wenger. "He has size, he is good in the air so on crosses you have hope with him.

"When people tell us 'you have no Plan B' he gives us a little bit. We always want to play football but he gives us an option in the air that we don't have without him."

Bendtner has looked a striker reborn since the turn of the year, with more than half of his goal total coming since January.

His impeccable sense of timing paid off again on Saturday, when his last-gasp header against Mick McCarthy's stubborn Wolves side won three points that appeared all but lost, a feat he also managed in injury time at Hull last month.

That made two of his last three goals headers following his important equaliser at Stoke, a trait which has been missing at Arsenal in recent seasons - a physical presence in the air.

Wenger recently insisted that Bendtner does not need to be a prolific goalscorer as long as he continues performing at his peak.

"For me the most important thing is that we have the best attack in the Premier League this season," he added.