Christian Benteke Fails to Convince Despite Liverpool Match-Winner vs. Leicester

Liverpool bounced back from their horror show at Watford last time out to inflict Leicester City's first Premier League defeat since September, beating the table-topping Foxes 1-0 at Anfield on Boxing Day.

Jurgen Klopp's side also became the first team to keep a clean sheet against Claudio Ranieri's team this season, with top goalscorers Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez nullified to the extent that both were subbed despite the visitors searching for an equaliser.

Reviewing the match, many will observe the difficulties Mamadou Sakho had, particularly in the first half, but the fact that both Vardy and Mahrez occupy his side of the pitch and ended up being subbed shows that actually the Frenchman was key to the defensive performance.

Sakho's strength, his ability to play out from the back, can sometimes be his downfall—as it was last week at Watford and on more than one occasion in this game. Instead, Dejan Lovren provided the calming influence in Liverpool's centre-back pairing.

The Croatian returned from injury to replace the sidelined Martin Skrtel alongside Sakho. It was the sixth time that the Sakho-Lovren partnership had appeared for the Reds, and a fourth clean sheet was recorded. Liverpool were able to play a high defensive line, and Lovren seemed far more composed and deliberate with his passing than supporters have witnessed in his previous 18 months at Anfield.

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Lovren is a right-footed player who has played most of his career on the left of the two centre-backs, but perhaps he can develop into a solid right-sided centre-back and this partnership can flourish. With Skrtel out for six weeks and around 11 games during that time, there's certainly a good opportunity to finally find out.

Many have questioned whether it is Skrtel who is the issue in Liverpool's constantly fragile defence, with the Slovakian often guilty of dropping off deep and lunging into tackles needlessly. If Lovren can continue this composed performance and dominance in the air, the Slovakian will struggle to get his place back in the side.

Another who impressed for the home side was Jordan Henderson, who put in a real captain's performance and showed he is now fully fit after three months out with injury, as noted by Andy Kelly of the Liverpool Echo: "N’Golo Kante in particular showed great pace and skill and it was only Henderson among the home players who had the athleticism to cope with him, the Liverpool captain dispossessing him twice in immaculate fashion."

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Henderson and Lovren were the two standout players for Liverpool, but the biggest talking point arrived elsewhere.

Origi vs. Benteke

Divock Origi was given the nod in attack ahead of Christian Benteke in the starting XI, with Klopp explaining post-match that he wanted the younger Belgian's pace against Leicester's defence.

Origi started very well, running the channels effectively, showing confidence and looking like the player fans hoped he would be when the Reds signed him for £10 million after an impressive World Cup as a teenager in 2014.

Sadly, Origi's strong start was curtailed when he pulled up with what looked like another hamstring injury—the 10th for a Liverpool player since Klopp arrived at Anfield less than three months ago.

"Origi did really well. I hope it is not too serious, we will see," said Klopp post-match.

In his place arrived Benteke shortly before half-time, and the former Aston Villa forward struggled to make an impact, caught offside more often than actually contributing to play.

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But goals are what forwards are judged on, and Benteke provided the only goal of this game in the 63rd minute, finishing from Roberto Firmino's ball into the box to place past Kasper Schmeichel. It was his sixth of the season and makes him the Reds' leading goalscorer this campaign—a statistic that, along with Liverpool still having a negative goal difference with the new year almost upon us, says a lot about their attacking problems of late.

The Belgian squandered two good chances in the second half, one from a superb Henderson cross of the type which the 6'3" forward is supposed to thrive upon. He then contrived to produce the miss of the season in stoppage time.

Somehow not given offside (with four Liverpool players ahead of Schmeichel, who had gone up for a corner), Benteke not only refused to simply play the ball into a completely open goal from 40 yards, but also allowed Wes Morgan time to get back, then completely fluffed his shot at the defender inside the area, which Lucas Leiva then put wide. It was an absolute calamity and perhaps shows more about Benteke's quality than his goal.

Does Benteke suit Liverpool's style of play? Far from it. Does Benteke look like a £32.5 million centre-forward? Far from it. But goals are what forwards are ultimately judged on.

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The Mirror's David Maddock referred to Benteke as a "work in progress," the Daily Mail's Dominic King noted that "the full story is different to the raw fact," while the Telegraph's Chris Bascombe added "that the final image of this game was so awkward demonstrated how much improvement is still needed."

Klopp had explained pre-match that he had spoken with Benteke, per the Daily Mail, with the manager explaining: "Christian’s biggest strength is heading so everyone is waiting for crosses. But often in the Premier League you have two high towers, centre-halves, in the box so you can’t always wait for that. That is only one situation in offence."

The jury may remain out with supporters and manager, and Benteke will need to start showing a lot more to keep his place in the side—especially if/when Daniel Sturridge returns to fitness.

Klopp explained in his pre-match press conference that the England forward is having a "mini pre-season" at present before playing again, but the player himself then took to Twitter after the Leicester match to claim he was "good to go."

"

Perfect gift for Christmas from the boys getting a win. On a sidenote I'm back training and good to go!! #Lfc #redordead

— Daniel Sturridge (@DanielSturridge) December 26, 2015"

Klopp appears keen to ensure Sturridge is finally fully fit before risking his return again, but the player seemingly is showing that he wants to play immediately.

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Whether Sturridge will be involved, then, for the two upcoming Premier League games, away to Sunderland (December 30) and West Ham United (January 2) remains to be seen.

With Origi likely to miss those two games, Benteke and Firmino become Klopp's only forward options—two very different options. It will be extremely telling which one the Liverpool manager opts for.