LUKA KEEPS EYES ON THE SPOT PRIZE
Palace ace’s shot at penalty record
ChrISTIAN Benteke once had the nerve to take the ball from Luka Milivojevic after Crystal Palace were awarded a penalty — and missed.
he dare not do that now. Not because of the fallout that followed, manager roy hodgson and chairman Steve Parish arguing with supporters and the striker reprimanded after his stoppage- time blunder cost them two points in a relegation battle against Bournemouth in December 2017.
But more so because Benteke has seen Milivojevic emerge as the best penalty taker in the Premier League and perhaps beyond. One more and he will equal the Premier League record for a season set by former Palace striker Andy Johnson.
Benteke knows his place now, supplying the pass from which Wilfried Zaha won the 81st-minute spot-kick at Newcastle on Saturday. Milivojevic duly smashed in his 10th straight conversion from 12 yards. ‘I can’t say I don’t want the record!’ said the Serbia midfielder. ‘It’s not in my power but when we get a penalty it’s my job to score.
‘This season we’ve had many, many penalties. It’s not by accident, it happens because we have a lot of quality players who get in the box, so we’re very dangerous in these situations.’
Indeed, Zaha has won six of those penalties. Andros Townsend is another who has contributed and he is amazed that Milivojevic continues to outwit goalkeepers.
‘how can he score double-figure penalties and still send the keeper the wrong way?’ asked the winger. ‘It’s incredible technique and incredible ability. We’re thankful we’ve got him for the big moments.’
Milivojevic, who has scored 19 of his 21 penalties for Palace, added: ‘I practise, not for a long time, but regularly. Normally the day before a game and I decide which way I will shoot. I won’t say too much, I don’t want keepers to read this in the papers! But I make my mind up during the week and 99 per cent of the time I never change.’
Both these teams should be playing in the Premier League next season and this game lacked the desperation and anxiety of a true relegation scrap. That is what happens when 13th meets 14th in April.
For Newcastle, bigger issues remain off the pitch right now with rafa Benitez having opened talks on extending his stay beyond this summer. The manager was not in the best mood in the wake of this defeat — he also lost defender Florian Lejeune to a serious knee injury — so his comments that he and the club were ‘not close’ on a new deal should perhaps be tempered, for there is no doubt the Spaniard wants to remain.