Christian Benteke back with a bang for Aston Villa at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace 0 Aston Villa 1Christian Benteke 32
Christian Benteke, left, scores the opening goal for Aston Villa against Crystal Palace.How Paul Lambert and Aston Villa needed this, a first victory in 10 games and a first goal for Christian Benteke since March. It eases the pressure on a side who somehow left south London three points better off, with Benteke’s first-half effort enough for a valuable win despite the visitors spending most of the match on the defensive.
For Crystal Palace and Neil Warnock sharpening their attack must now be a priority. Too often they were let down by disappointing decisions and terrible touches. Brad Guzan ultimately proved unbeatable and Villa, so often on the receiving end of late goals, held on.
Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie were typically energetic but lacked the final product. While the Palace ownership issue lingers on – with Josh Harris’ mooted takeover not expected to be resolved until the New Year – Villa’s American owner, Randy Lerner, will be able to take solace from this result. It ended a rot that had threatened to seep into the busy Christmas period.
“We are now four games unbeaten. That is really important,” said Lambert, who also insisted there was “no bust-up” with Roy Keane before the Irishman’s departure as assistant manager. “Aston Villa is a football club where the expectancy is huge because of the name, the tradition, and we have got to live up to that. Nobody wants to see the club where it has been for the last few years.
“Christian came back today with a fantastic goal. He offers you that. What he had was a really bad injury. To come back from that, he has been excellent. I’ve been fortunate to play with some of the best players in the world scoring-wise and, if he keeps progressing the way he is, he’ll hit those heights.”
Villa started poorly but ended the first half in front courtesy of Benteke’s first goal of the campaign. Joe Cole was replaced in the ninth minute by Carlos Sánchez because of injury as Villa attempted to quell early Palace pressure. Brad Guzan fumbled an early effort from Bolasie and Mile Jedinak could not quite make decisive contact when backheeling from a corner.
Their resistance paid off. Benteke, returning from a three-match suspension following a red card against Tottenham, was the only man who looked like causing Palace any trouble and so it proved.There was a warning sign four minutes before his goal when the Belgian striker turned Scott Dann on the edge of the penalty area and curled an effort towards the top corner but Julian Speroni tipped it over.
Speroni was helpless when Benteke gave his side the lead, however. Again at fault was Dann, the centre-half who has performed admirably this season. Benteke dispossessed the defender on the left touchline midway inside the Palace half before driving forward and finishing precisely into the bottom corner.
Warnock said: “I think he [Dann] should have kicked it over the stand. You can’t score in Row Z. It’s a cruel punishment. We’re disappointed that they didn’t have to work hard for the goal. It just wasn’t meant to be tonight.”
Guzan’s goal came under renewed threat but the American was not to be beaten before the break, with Zaha and Bolasie denied from inside the area. The second half continued in much the same vein but both wide men lacked composure when delivering a final ball.
Fraizer Campbell had been brought on at half-time for Dwight Gayle and certainly provided Palace with greater impetus in attack. The former Manchester United striker broke clear of the last man in the 57th minute and, in a desperate attempt to reach James McArthur’s through-ball, ended up clattering Guzan who had already cleared.
Campbell received a yellow card and was moments later involved in more controversy, going down in the penalty area under a challenge from Ciaran Clark. The referee, Michael Oliver, deemed it a fair challenge much to the anger of the Selhurst Park crowd who were becoming increasingly incensed with the official. Warnock said: “I think he’s [Oliver] in a poor position. He doesn’t see the right arm pull Fraizer back.”
Andreas Weimann missed a glorious chance and at the other end Zaha flashed a low ball through a clutch of bodies late on but no Palace player could turn it home inside the six-yard box.
It summed up a wasteful night for the Eagles.
Guardian
