Christian Benteke has been noted as the tall and powerful Belgian who has a strong sight for goals. Single-handedly leading Aston Villa to glory, he was quickly snapped up by Liverpool in the summer of 2015.
Christian Benteke: New Beginnings at Crystal Palace
After a rough year at Anfield, he packed his bags for London and signed with Crystal Palace. Palace is a club where Benteke hopes to restart his career, as it is a new beginning for the talented striker.
Importance at Villa Park
Christian Benteke was the man to be feared. His size and pace terrified the defenders of any team. With shear power and a relentless approach the game, Benteke was considered to be one the best strikers in the Premier League at the time.
He spent three years at the club and managed to appear in 89 matches. Benteke was able to put away 42 goals. That is a rate of almost half a goal per game (.47 goals per game) and considering the players he had around him at the time, it was a huge success. Benteke was the man up top and the player the fans looked towards to create something special. He was the target man and the fulcrum of the whole team.
Being the focal point of the attack, he had a huge role for them. Aston Villa must have feared the day top clubs would be circling like sharks for Benteke’s services. The time finally came around and it was Liverpool who captured the striker for 33 million dollars. The departure of Benteke was inevitable, but it truly highlighted his importance. The very next season, Aston Villa were relegated to the Championship.
Stalemate at Liverpool
Liverpool’s number nine. Many wondered if he could be as good as Fernando Torres , as the number carries a ton of weight. Benteke was not a good fit for this side due to the fact that he was a star within stars. Benteke was not the one called upon to score a 90th minute winner. He was just another striker. The pressure was getting to him, as Benteke was struggling to find his form.
Benteke made 29 appearances for the Reds, with most of those coming off the bench. He was able to score nine goals. That is about a third of a goal per game (.31 goals per game). Sadly, numbers do not lie and he was preforming underpar. Many factors played into his seasonal demise. New surroundings, new teammates, new expectations and the pressure at Liverpool all had their effects. Could Benteke have done more if he would’ve had another season to try? That is a question that we will never find out the answer to.
Resurgence with Pardew
Alan Pardew took over as Crystal Palace manager, made the sale of Dwight Gayle to Newcastle United and a new forward was needed. Pardew took a gamble on Benteke for 33 million dollars, as he had struggled the season before with Liverpool. The transfer makes sense.
Now Benteke is able to be the key element of the team, once again the fulcrum, the finisher and a creator. The transfer was a good one as it put Benteke into a familiar environment where he is the star. Crystal Palace, with full respect, is Benteke’s modern Aston Villa. Even though the season has just begun, he has played nine games and scored four goals. Benteke is scoring under half a goal per game (.44 goals per game), just as he was for Aston Villa. It is very early in the season to judge , but he has started extremely well.
Christian Benteke is only 25 years old and has his whole career ahead of him. With Crystal Palace, he is granted another chance to show the world his talents. With a strong start for his new team, Benteke looks to continue his good form for club and country.
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