Big Ben all fired up again
CRYSTAL PALACE boss Sam Allardyce believes it took Christian Benteke time to overcome the disappointment of leaving Liverpool after just one season.
But now Big Sam is convinced that, helped by a morale-boosting trip to Russia with Belgium, he is on his way back to peak form.
Benteke made an impressive start at Selhurst Park following his £27m summer move, scoring eight goals before Christmas.
He then hit a slump which saw him score just one more league goal up to the end of March.
But Benteke has responded positively to his manager’s challenge to score five goals in the club’s last 10 games with back-to-back strikes against Chelsea and Southampton.
And Allardyce hopes that the 26-year-old’s performances will now prove decisive in Palace’s fight against relegation which continues when Arsenal visit Selhurst Park tonight.
Knocked
“I think he had a time at Liverpool where it didn’t work out for him and within the space of one season he had moved on,” said Allardyce.
“And I think that might have had an effect psychologically on him and that might have knocked him down.
“He goes and gets a big money move from Aston Villa and then, all of a sudden, he finds himself surplus to requirements.
“It takes some overcoming when you get knocked like that.
“I think going away and playing for Belgium in Russia and scoring two goals in the last international break has been a massive help for him.
“He has come back with that bit more confidence.
“He is our main goalscorer, that’s 13 goals now in a struggling season.
“It’s a big catalyst for us and he’s a big reason why we’ve got a chance of staying out of the bottom three.”
Last Wednesday’s defeat at Southampton ended Palace’s run of four successive victories.
But their win at Chelsea nine days ago has strengthened belief ahead of tonight’s meeting with Arsene Wenger’s side.
Allardyce added: “We’ve beaten number one in the league and that has to give you confidence you can beat number three, four or five if you get your game right on the day.”