Crystal Palace pulled off a stunning 3-2 victory at Arsenal on Sunday in Matchday 34 of the Premier League, with Christian Benteke playing a key role in the win. The Belgian striker, of Congolese descent, started up front ahead of Wilfried Zaha, while Michy Batshuayi remained on the bench.
Arsenal had a chance to climb back onto the Premier League podium but were undone by Palace’s clinical finishing and defensive resilience. Benteke opened the scoring in the 17th minute, capitalizing on lax marking to head home a perfectly delivered free-kick from Luka Milivojevic, the former Anderlecht midfielder. The goal was especially significant for Benteke, whose previous strike had come nearly a year earlier, in a home game against Leicester at the end of April 2018. Since then, injuries and inconsistent playing time had limited his appearances and starting opportunities.
“I’m really happy to score again,” Benteke told Crystal Palace’s official website. “It’s been a very difficult year for me because of injuries, and then I had to wait for an opportunity. But today, I’m overjoyed. I’m really happy with my performance. It’s not just my goal; Zaha and I worked hard up front. We tried to put pressure on their midfield. We know it’s difficult against Arsenal when they play at home. So we can be satisfied with our performance.”
Benteke’s return to form and decisive goal vindicated the manager’s faith in him, showing that the striker can still make a big impact for Crystal Palace. His combination with Zaha helped keep Arsenal on the back foot, highlighting the team’s resilience and determination in securing a memorable away victory.
