'If Liverpool bought me then they know how to use me. That's why I came here -- I'll show I can play with my feet too'
Juergen Klopp returns to the scene of one his Liverpool side's most controversial victories of last season this Saturday with the man who fashioned it lining up against him.
In his first full MLS season after joining Miami in July 2023, Lionel Messi had 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches while his club set a league record with a 74-point campaign before a stunning first-round elimination from the play-offs.
Christian Benteke's superb hat-trick rescued a potentially priceless Premier League point for Aston Villa.
Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke scored a hat-trick to lead his side to a crushing 6-1 win over Sunderland on Monday that gave them a massive lift in their battle for Premier League survival.
Christian Benteke condemned struggling Sunderland to a 1-0 defeat and sent Liverpool level on points with sixth-placed Manchester United in the last Premier League game of the year on Wednesday.
'We knew it was going to be hard to play against them, but I give all the praise to the lads for the hard work.'
Christian Benteke's last-gasp penalty completed 10-man Liverpool's fightback against Crystal Palace to keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish. Substitute Benteke went down after a faint challenge by Damien Delaney deep in stoppage time and coolly slotted home to add to Robert Firmino's equaliser on 72 minutes. James Milner's dismissal for a second yellow card on 62 minutes put Liverpool on the back foot, but Firmino took advantage of a scuffed clearance from Palace goalkeeper Alex McCarthy to cancel out Joe Ledley's low drive just after the break. "First half we started OK but forgot to shoot on the goal. But what we did in the end was brilliant," Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told Sky Sports. "I feel sorry for Palace but I have just seen the replay (of the penalty decision) in the dressing room and it was a clear penalty. If there was no contact, Benteke would have been in a great position to shoot."
Christian Benteke wants to stay at Liverpool but is reluctant to commit his future to the Anfield club unless he gets more game time under manager Juergen Klopp. The former Aston Villa striker scored nine league goals during a mixed first season at the Merseyside club but made 15 of his 29 Premier League appearances from the bench. Benteke was signed by Klopp's predecessor, Brendan Rodgers, for 32.5 million pounds ($47.00 million) and under the German found himself behind Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino in the pecking order.
Liverpool wrapped up a deal for Christian Benteke on Wednesday, luring the targetman to Anfield on a long-term contract.
Everton have 36 points from 26 games
Liverpool have agreed a 32.5 million pounds deal with Aston Villa for striker Christian Benteke, British media reported on Sunday.
Liverpool striker Christian Benteke is having a medical before completing his move to Crystal Palace, the London club's manager Alan Pardew said on Friday.
A last-gasp Christian Benteke penalty handed Tim Sherwood his first win as Aston Villa manager.
Christian Benteke struck twice to inspire Aston Villa to a shock 3-1 win at Arsenal on a dramatic opening day of the Premier League season on Saturday. Striker Daniel Sturridge scored and new goalkeeper Simon Mignolet saved a late penalty to earn Liverpool a deserved 1-0 win over Stoke City.
Aston Villa scored their first goal in more than nine hours but then had Christian Benteke sent off and allowed Tottenham Hotspur to come back for a 2-1 win at Villa Park on Sunday.
'His hold-up play is outstanding, he's got a wonderful touch for a big guy and you saw that this evening' 'It gives us a different dimension to our game, whilst looking to retain that philosophy to move the ball and get fluency'
Christian Benteke headed home from close range as Liverpool grabbed a stoppage-time leveller to snatch a point against Chelsea in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday after Eden Hazard's dazzling opener for the visitors.
Substitute Alexandre Lacazette struck with the last kick of the game to give Arsenal a rollercoaster 2-2 home draw with Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Monday after the visitors had fought back from a goal down.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Juventus strolled to a 3-0 home win over bottom side Crotone in the Italian Serie A on Monday, with the victory taking the champions up to third in the standings.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Postal service worker Kristbjorn Hilmir Kjartansson and his friend Gretar Jonsson, a film student, took 14 days to make the trip from Reykjavik to Volgograd.
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Sunday.
Promoted Bournemouth are still waiting for their first Premier League points after succumbing to a controversial Christian Benteke goal in a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool on Monday.
Images from action in the Spanish Super Cup and English Premier League
Liverpool have enough quality and strength in depth in the squad to win games and pick up important points during a demanding festive schedule, striker Christian Benteke has said.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has expressed his delight with Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino after the forwards made their first-team debuts in the club's final warm-up match before the new Premier League season.
An opening-day Premier League defeat, a growing injury list and the weight of an unspent transfer kitty hang heavily over Arsenal as they head into Wednesday's Champions League playoff clash with Fenerbahce.
Everton moved up to third place in the Premier League despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace as Belgium strikers Christian Benteke and Romelu Lukaku both got on the scoresheet in a battling encounter on Friday.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
Aston Villa will meet holders Arsenal in the FA Cup final next month.
Cech's solid 'keeping and Liverpool's staunch defence ensured the match ended in a goalless stalemate
Rediff.com makes an assessment of the biggest gambles made by the leading Premier League teams this summer.
Imperious Liverpool extended their Premier League home winning streak against Arsenal to six on Saturday with an easy 4-0 victory that lifted them to second in the table.
Images from the English Premier League match played between Arsenal and Crystal Palace on Monday
Images from Saturday's action in the Premier League.
Top-ranked Belgium slammed eight goals against Belarus and the Netherlands crashed seven past Gibraltar
Images from Saturday's Premier League matches.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday
Manchester United and Aston Villa paid a heavy price for having men sent off on in the Premier League on Sunday with United losing a tight derby to Man City and Villa surrendering a lead in defeat by Tottenham Hotspur.
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