da bwin： Christian Benteke lines up for his first genuine test as a Liverpool player, as the Reds line up to square off against Arsenal in a battle of Premier League heavy weights. The Belgian star marked his Anfield debut with the winning (albeit dubious) goal against Bournemouth on Monday night, and has already impressed those on Merseyside.
da dobrowin： The former Villa striker’s style of play was the subject of much discussion following his £32.5m move earlier in the summer. A departure from manager Brendan Rodgers’ preferred passing style, the 24-year old clearly provides a much more physical option at the point of the Liverpool attack.
During his brief outings wearing the famous red shirt, the 6ft 2 hitman has shown himself to be just as useful with the ball at his feet as he is deployed as a target man.
Though he is unlikely to create from deep and surge into the opposition’s penalty area, his brutish hold play is delightfully mixed with some intelligent interlink with the more nuanced players who swarm around him.
With the likes of Jordan Henderson and James Milner likely to provide the box-box runs we so often see from the pair, these skills can help Liverpool to mould arguably one of the most varied attacks in the league.
Fellow new team-mate Nathaniel Clyne talked up the Belgian star’s ability to ‘hold up the ball and bring others into play.’ While club legend Robbie Fowler waxed lyrical about the No. 9’s prowess ‘with the ball at his feet.’
This exciting blend of physicality and technique instantly lifts a side who last season relied upon Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli. Benteke also provides a poachers instinct, as seen in his strike against the Cherries.
Harder tests will come, no disrespect to Stoke and Bournemouth. The first being Arsenal at the Emirates on Monday night, though the new Merseyside man will fancy his chances.
The Gunners can find it particularly difficult to navigate around a physical threat and often viewed as lacking the steel to deal with such a problem.
Where last season the Reds might pass the ball nicely around the middle of the park and not create much in the way of goal scoring opportunities, they now have ‘Big Ben’ to unleash. He gives the side a completely new dimension and absolutely revitalises an otherwise lumbering front line.
Perhaps Rodgers has had to compromise on his ideals in bringing the player in. However, it has not yet been as drastic as first thought when the deal was initially mooted. A lethal blend of brains and brawn, Benteke is already impressing for Liverpool.