Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner says his time at Birmingham City last season prepared him perfectly for this campaign with the Gunners.

He told the Sunday Times: "I came back from Birmingham a totally different player. We had played the full season under the pressure of having to win every game. I was the front man, leading the attack, the guy who should be scoring and it was a fantastic experience for me.

"There were games when I could have worked harder, other games when I did work hard but, overall, I wasn't mentally strong enough, but that improved over the season."