Player Focus: Benteke Injury Timing Could Have Been Worse for Villa
Not many fans of domestic clubs enjoy the prospect of an international break but it's fair to say that Aston Villa's supporters will be thankful for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. One player that will definitely not feature for his country in a fortnight is Christian Benteke, who Paul Lambert confirmed would be sidelined for 4 to 6 weeks with the hip injury he sustained against Norwich at the weekend.
It begs the question as to how Villa will cope in the absence of the man that undoubtedly kept the club in the Premier League last time round, but if the forward were to pick up an injury this season, the timing could have been much worse. Plenty have taken Lambert's quotes and claimed that the 22-year old will be out towards the upper end of the timeframe stated but Villa will no doubt look to get their star man back in action in a month or so.
If they can manage that then the Midlands outfit may only have to cope without their top scorer for matches against Man City, Hull, Spurs and Everton, three of which they would have been expected to lose regardless of Benteke's absence. They'll hope to have the target man back for the eminently more 'winnable' fixtures against West Ham and Cardiff before another hiatus due to the World Cup qualification play-offs.
It's fair to say that the heavy Capital One Cup defeat against Tottenham is not worth reading into when you consider Villa's credentials without the former Genk striker. Lambert fielded an XI without the likes of Guzan, Clark, Luna, Delph, Westwood, Weimann and Agbonlahor in addition to Benteke, with at least 5 of those players likely to be back in action at the weekend.
It is, however, also reasonable to predict that the test coming up for Lambert's young lions couldn't be much tougher. They host a City side fresh from netting 9 goals in the space of 3 days, including 4 against champions United, with home matches against Tottenham, once more, and Everton to come in their next four matches.
With most sides fighting for survival the notion that their home record is all-important is applicable, but that's certainly not the case for the Villans. They’ve picked up fewer points in their last 13 home matches than any other current Premier League side (10) and their struggles at Villa Park remain the key concern for the club.
In contrast, in their last 15 league away matches only United, Arsenal and Spurs have lost fewer than Aston Villa's 4, with those defeats coming at the hands of Arsenal, United and Chelsea twice. It makes their trip to Hull in early October somewhat of a must win match if they are to avoid dropping into the relegation zone before Benteke's return, while the fact that the three upcoming home fixtures are against tougher opposition may be a blessing in disguise with regards to the Belgian's absence.
Lambert's side are renowned for their counter-attacking style nowadays but when tasked with the initiative to break teams down they struggle, and they'll do so even more without Benteke. Ten of Villa's last 17 league goals at Villa Park have been scored by the man that they desperately fought to keep hold of this summer and without those goals it's near impossible to see them picking up points in their next few home games.
Interestingly enough Gabby Agbonlahor played through the middle at the weekend against Norwich, even before Benteke's substitution, and looked lively, creating a match high of 6 key passes including Libor Kozak's winning goal. The former Lazio fringe player is one of those that Lambert has challenged to relish the chance to start in Benteke's absence. His main competition will come from fellow summer signing Nicklas Helenius, who is likely to be remembered somewhat unfortunately for being unwittingly exposed by Jan Vertonghen in the week for some time.
Weimann's shift to the left in the match at Carrow Road also proved beneficial, with the young Austrian close to netting twice in the opening 5 minutes, attempting 4 shots in total, as he was able to cut in onto his stronger right foot. That may well be the way to go with their prized asset sidelined, leaving the right-sided spot vacant for one of Tonev, Albrighton or Bacuna to claim.
However, while Villa's lack of goals without Benteke will be the primary concern for the fans, it's the creativity that he brings that is often underrated, the loss of which could in fact be felt more. Since the start of last season the Belgium international has made almost twice as many key passes from open play as any teammate, with 59 way ahead of Agbonlahor on 29. In terms of big chances created his figure of 12 is again close to double that of the next best in the squad (Weimann - 7). Indeed, when you look at those figures compared to the league's top creators only 11 have made more key passes from open play, while only 8 have created more big chances for teammates.
Benteke isn't just Villa's goalscorer, he's their link man, creative force and aerial target all rolled into one. Their means and end if you will. While Lambert is unlikely to be able to replace his threat in the coming weeks, Villa's tough start to the fixture list should, in a strange way, come as some sort of relief to the club's fans.
How well do you think Villa will cope in Benteke's absence? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
