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Christian Benteke revitalised at Crystal Palace ahead of return to Anfield to face Liverpool

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Christian Benteke of Crystal Palace celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Pa
Image: Crystal Palace's Christian Benteke returns to former club Liverpool on Sunday

We look at how Christian Benteke has re-found his form at Crystal Palace as he returns to Anfield for the first time on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.

The Belgium international headed in a 92nd-minute equaliser against Chelsea on his last appearance for Liverpool at Anfield. It was a rare highlight during his one-season stay with the club.

There was the wonder goal at Manchester United, too, when Benteke pulled off a spectacular overhead kick that suited his £32.5m price tag.

But 10 goals from 42 appearances in 2015/16 paints a clearer picture of the striker's difficult time on Merseyside.

Benteke - who scored 49 times in 101 appearances for Aston Villa - found himself out of place and at odds with the style of football played at Liverpool.

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Brendan Rodgers signed him but shortly after Jurgen Klopp's arrival in October 2015 it was clear Benteke did not slot into the German's high-intensity, pressing play.

"I don't think he fitted into what Klopp wants from a centre-forward," said Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson.

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"He wants a player with more mobility and, like most managers, he wants a striker who can close down defenders and I don't think Benteke ever understood how to press. I also don't think Klopp wanted to play long balls which made much of Benteke's threat redundant."

Aerial threat

Christian Benteke has scored 21 Premier League headed goals since his Premier League debut in September 2012; only Olivier Giroud (24) has scored more.

Liverpool made fewer crosses than any other team the season before Benteke arrived but his presence in the team demanded a shift in approach.

The Reds made an extra 149 crosses in 2015/16 and Klopp said in November he was willing to give Benteke - a player he scouted at Dortmund - time and opportunities. "A striker, more than any player needs the help of the rest of the team," he said. "Give them the ball in the right area. That is what we try and do but there is no doubt to the quality."

But while back-to-back winners against Leicester and Sunderland over the Christmas period could have been a turning point, instead they were followed by a 715-minute drought and Benteke slipped out of consideration for a starting spot as Klopp looked for alternative solutions in attack.

Christian Benteke, Jurgen Klopp, Crystal Palace v Liverpool, Premier League
Image: Benteke didn't fit into Jurgen Klopp's plans at Liverpool

"When your coach says he wanted to take you to Dortmund and a little later you sit at the same club and he ignores you it is hard to understand," said Benteke.

His long wait for another goal finally ended in controversial circumstances at Selhurst Park in March 2016. After being clipped by Damien Delaney in the box, Benteke stepped up to cooly slot in a 96th-minute penalty to win the match for Liverpool.

Palace boss Alan Pardew said his team had been "robbed" - but showed there was no lasting hard feelings when he brought Benteke to south London for an initial £27m last summer.

"In the end, I think it was right for all sides," Klopp said before his side's trip to Palace in October.

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Watch highlights of Crystal Palace 2-2 Leicester

Indeed, while Liverpool's fluid forward play led by Roberto Firmino, a player whose style and size contrast sharply with Benteke's, has lit up the league this season, the Belgian has begun to re-find the form which attracted the Premier League big guns in the first place.

Pardew's focus on getting the ball wide and whipped in for the big striker is a method that his successor Sam Allardyce has continued.

Most headed shots - Premier League 2016/17

Player Club Headed shots
Christian Benteke Crystal Palace 40
Fernando Llorente Swansea 30
Salomon Rondon West Brom 28
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Man Utd 19

Palace are in the top three for crosses and corners (756) and Benteke is thriving on the service. He has had more headed shots and won more aerial battles than any other player in the Premier League.

"He's getting into those battles again and bullying centre-halves," says Thompson. "Allardyce isn't averse to playing more direct and he knows how to make Benteke's threat most effective, with Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha close to him."

Crystal Palace targeted Arsenal through long balls to Christian Benteke
Image: Crystal Palace's pass combinations against Arsenal illustrate how they like to go direct to Benteke

Three goals in his past four games - including the winner at Chelsea and equaliser against Leicester - have boosted Palace's surge towards survival. "His game is coming on and the goals are coming back," Allardyce, who had described Benteke's stint at Liverpool as a nightmare, said this month. "He's a big reason why we've still got a chance of staying out of the bottom three."

Away day star

Only Alexis Sanchez (12), Sergio Aguero (12) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (10) have scored more away goals in the Premier League this season than Christian Benteke (9)

Now Benteke is primed to cause his former club Liverpool problems on Sunday.

Palace have won on their past two visits to Anfield and only three players have scored more goals on the road than Benteke this season.

But whatever the outcome this weekend, Benteke looks like a striker back on track.

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