Hull 1-2 Arsenal: The Sunday Mirror match report

Nicklas Bendtner grabbed a dramatic stoppage-time winner to keep Arsenal on course for their first piece of silverware for five years.

It has been quite a week for the Denmark striker, who went from zero to hero in the eyes of Gunners fans with his fabulous hat-trick to see off Porto in the Champions League last 16 tie last Tuesday.And he rounded off his fantastic four days with his ninth goal of the season to give Arsene Wenger’s side their eighth away league victory this term.

The battling Tigers thought they had done enough to grab a deserved draw until Bendtner struck in the third minute of injury time.

City keeper Boaz Myhill could only parry a drive from Denilson straight into the path of Bendtner. The hit-man’s first effort was blocked by Myhill, but there was nothing the Welsh international could do to keep out his follow-up effort.

The rampant Gunners went into this bottom-against-top contest having lost only two of their previous 16 games and on a four-match winning streak.

That impressive sequence had seen Wenger’s high-fliers put the squeeze on title rivals Manchester United and Chelsea and burst into the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Hull, on the other hand, were gripped in a bitter relegation battle after taking a 5-1 beating at Everton a week ago – and reeling from a very public punch-up between midfield partners Jimmy ­Bullard and Nicky Barmby.

But Brown’s boys showed no signs of suffering from an ­inferiority complex early on.

Bullard rang alarm bells in the Gunners’ defence for the first time on eight minutes when he picked out Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink with a beautifully weighted through ball. Fortunately for the visitors, Manuel Almunia dashed out to snatch the ball off the Dutchman’s toes.

Six minutes later the Londoners were ahead with a goal worked delightfully by Bendtner and Andrey Arshavin.

Bendtner opened up City’s defence with a lovely ball to Arshavin. The gifted Russian showed quick feet to turn George Boateng and Bernard Mendy inside out before slotting home a low drive.

That could have been the signal for Hull to buckle, but instead they battled back to level in the 28th minute. When Sol Campbell clumsily brought down Vennegoor of Hesselink, he gave referee Andre Marriner an easy decision to award a penalty.

Up stepped Bullard to fire home from the spot for his fourth goal in only six starts this term.

Hull were reduced to 10 men when Boateng was sent off by Marriner for a dreadful tackle on Bacary Sagna on the stroke of half-time.

City were dealt another massive blow 11 minutes after the break when they lost centre-back Kamil Zayatte through injury.

Arsenal were finding it hard to break down a stubborn City defence, but the Wenger boys missed a glorious opportunity after 66 minutes.

Arshavin found himself unmarked with the ball at his feet 12 yards out, but somehow blazed high over the bar with only Myhill to beat.

Bendtner also missed two good chances as Arsenal pressed – but he was on target in injury time.