Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew to keep Christian Benteke as penalty taker

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 21 October 2016

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew says that he will keep Christian Benteke on penalty duty, despite the striker's miss against West Ham last weekend.

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew has claimed that Christian Benteke will remain as the team's penalty taker, despite missing from the spot last weekend.

The Belgium international, who joined the Eagles from Liverpool for £32m in the summer, fluffed a penalty during his team's 1-0 defeat to West Ham United.

Despite shooting high and wide, Benteke will remain on spot-kick duty for Saturday's away match against Leicester City.

"We had some conflicting opinions on the penalty, but I have great faith in him," Pardew told reporters. "It's important that your striker continues to score goals.

"I've always encouraged my centre-forward to take penalties and there's a reason for that - when they have a patch when they're not scoring a goal and a penalty comes along, suddenly they can get their rhythm back.

"It can help them out of a hole. Christian isn't in a hole at the moment but he got that penalty wrong. It happens. We've seen it from world-class players. I want him to make sure with the next one he scores. That's the most important thing."

Benteke has scored three goals for Palace so far this season.