Christian Benteke had to hold back the giggles when asked about the controversial stoppage-time penalty which he won and converted to snatch Liverpool a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace this afternoon.
SEE MORE: Christian Benteke penalty video: Liverpool striker scores spot kick to beat Crystal Palace
The Belgian went down under minimal contact from Palace defender Damien Delaney. Referee Andre Marriner initially waved away Liverpool’s appeals, before changing his mind on advice from his assistant.
Does Benteke go down easy? Yes. Is he right to go down? Yes. Is it a penalty? Yes https://t.co/pOh3Z5ADy0
— Martin Laurence (@martinlaurence7) March 6, 2016
Benteke, often the subject of criticism in his debut season at Liverpool, stepped up to slot the spot kick into the bottom corner and secure the 10-man Reds victory with almost the last kick of the game.
The 25-year-old insisted in his post-match interview that he was tripped – and the above video does show Delaney’s knee graze Benteke’s ankle – but his face was telling a different story!
You can tell that the former Aston Villa target man is trying to hide a little smirk from the cameras – maybe because he knows he robbed struggling Palace of an important point at Selhurst Park!
Benteke’s goal ended Liverpool’s four-match winless run against the Eagles, and was his first in the Premier League since December. The striker will hope that it changes his fortunes at Anfield.
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