Bendtner looks for winning formula

Nicklas Bendtner maintains Arsenal must dig deep to find the "DNA of champions" if they are to get their title bid back on track at Blackpool.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger accepted his team were "flat" in last weekend's frustrating goalless draw against 10-man Blackburn at Emirates Stadium which left them seven points behind leaders Manchester United, albeit with a match in hand and the teams still to meet on May 1.

Earlier that afternoon, United had battled back from 2-0 down to win at West Ham.

It is such determination which critics claim Wenger's young Gunners have lacked this season, losing the Carling Cup final at Wembley before crashing out of both Europe and the FA Cup.

Bendtner, however, has every faith his team-mates can show the needed character over the remaining eight matches to secure a dream end to the season.

"We just have to pick ourselves up and get going. There will still be more twists and turns in this championship. We are still in with a chance," Bendtner told Arsenal TV Online.

"I firmly believe if we win all of our last eight games we will be champions, but we have to give it absolutely everything.

"When it does not work for us and we don't play as well as we should we need people to run around, to make tackles and make it difficult for the other team.

"Everyone is really focused. The trust and the belief is there. We just have to put on the performance. We have to really battle."

Bendtner continued: "You have to put yourself in a mental state where despite disappointments you have to want to achieve goals - the DNA of a champion is that no matter what disappointment might happen, you have got to pick yourself up and keep going.

"This is really what we need to show."

The Denmark striker, however, insists there can be no repeat of last weekend's below-par display.

"Against Blackburn, we just did not look like we were challenging for the championship," he said.

"We have so much quality and it is a game we really should have put to bed.

"It looked like nothing was going and we did not put in everything which we should have been putting in, so it was a very frustrating game."

Nevertheless, Bendtner insists Ian Holloway's men cannot be taken lightly.

"Blackpool have had some surprising results at home," he said.

"They seem to battle through every single minute, they are not an easy team so we need to be really serious when we go there to compete."

Bendtner has seen his own progress hampered by a groin problem since his return from the World Cup.

However, the 23-year-old is now fully fit and is looking to build on his nine goals during the closing stages of the campaign.

"I try to make an impact as much as I can," said Bendtner, often utilised from the bench.

"I would have liked to have played a little bit more and not have to worry too much about some problems I have had, so I am not overly pleased, no."

Bendtner continued: "I have been doing a lot of work in training.

"I always do a bit of finishing afterwards on my own and there were times last season where I had four or five chances and did not put one away.

"I thought that was very frustrating myself, kind of funny as well, luckily we still managed to win those games.

"But it is all about when you get your chance you have to take it."