Arsenal legend-turned-pundit Ian Wright believes Christian Benteke could be influential towards turning the club’s form in the Premier League in the forthcoming months. The south London outfit have made a slow start to the current campaign and they are currently just one point above the drop after the opening 13 matches.
Moreover, they have also struggled upfront with the joint-lowest goal tally of just eight alongside Huddersfield Town and this has come about from the ineffectiveness of Alexander Sorloth and Jordan Ayew upfront in the absence of Benteke through a knee injury. Speaking exclusively to 90min, Wright suggested that Benteke still has hope of cementing a regular berth with the Eagles upfront, considering the club’s woes in the scoring department this term.
He said: “You have to hope for Benteke. Because we know what he’s capable of doing. We haven’t seen it for a few years, unfortunately for him and for Palace, but you have to hold out hope that there’s light at the end of the tunnel for him. They can create chances with Wilf [Zaha] and with Andros [Townsend], especially when they’re playing well, and then you’re hoping that the luck that he’s had in front of goal will change. But then you look at Sørloth, he looks like somebody who’s going to struggle to score goals at this level.”
Benteke was guilty of missing several clear-cut chances during the course of the previous campaign and there were suggestions that Palace could consider his probable sale during the summer transfer window. However, nothing of that sort happened with the club comfortable with the marksman, although they have missed his services over the past few months after a knee ligament injury. The 27-year-old has, however, made the comeback to training of late and he could feature for the Eagles more regularly during the festive schedule before the turn of the year.