Christian Benteke ready for life-changing game

The past 12 months have not been the easiest for Christian Benteke.

Six months out with a torn Achilles tendon, followed by a return which could be at best described as sluggish, had some wondering whether the Villa striker's career had seen its best days, at the age of just 24.

In that respect, the past few weeks have seen Benteke re-establish himself as one of the the Premier League's most dangerous forwards.

Eight goals in six games have helped blast Villa toward safety and seen the striker rediscover his swagger.

Now, he wants to perform on his biggest stage yet. Injury meant he missed the chance to star for his country at the World Cup. Firing Villa past Liverpool at Wembley this Sunday might be the next best thing.

"For the moment, yes," replies the big striker, when asked if Sunday's date under the famous arch represents his biggest game to date.

"It (missing the World Cup) was hard but now it's in the past, I'm looking forward to playing the semi final."

Villa are rank outsiders to turn over the odds-on Reds, with any prospective punters likely to find a price of around 5/1 to back the claret and blues.

Yet Benteke is not sure the gulf is quite so wide.

He said: "Liverpool are a good team but the thing with the FA Cup is it's still something special. It's 50-50 for me but some will say they are favourites.

"Wembley is something good and special because it's a semi final, it's close to the final and we have to do everything to be there again."

Benteke isn't the only striker to have flourished since the arrival of new manager Tim Sherwood, who replaced Paul Lambert in the Villa Park hotseat in February with the club seemingly at rock bottom.

Gabby Agboblahor might not have been able to match the Belgian's but has still managed to double his tally for the season and more importantly added an element of pace and direction to the attack which had been lacking in the dying days of Lambert's reign.

Benteke explained: "He (Sherwood) said to the team we have to play to our strengths, to play with me and Gabby. He helped me to destroy the defenders, with two we're always better than one. I'm comfortable, it's a good partnership."

The duo's goal – and more precisely Benteke's winner at Tottenham last weekend – mean Villa approach the Wembley showpiece in a far more relaxed manner than might have been the case, six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone. Common consensus, away from Bodymoor Heath, is that another three points will be enough to see Sherwood's team safe yet Benteke is eager to leave no room for doubt when the league campaign gets back under way.

"The more the better," he said when asked how many more points might be needed. "I think it's risky to say we can take three points and we're finished. We have to try to win every game.

"Saturday was a massive three points because now we're six points clear of QPR so it's very important for us to be far off them."

And could that signal another new deal for the big Belgian at Villa Park?

Benteke hints that it could. "For now I'm just trying to help the team be safe for next season and to try to get to the FA Cup final – then we will see," he said. "We can do something good here. I'm just waiting to have a chat with him (Sherwood) at the end of the season.

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"I'm happy because I'm scoring at the moment but also because I'm playing the way I want. Now I have more chances and I'm fully fit," he added.

"I didn't get enough service (under Lambert) and I wasn't fit enough but I knew that I would need time to be fit again.

"The confidence back then was a little bit low so it was hard for everyone."

In the build-up to the Cup meanwhile, Agbonlahor's fitness looks likely to be an ongoing story in the coming days after the 28-year-old limped out of the win at Tottenham with a hamstring injury.

According to former Villa, Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown, having both strikers fit and firing will be critical to claret and blue hopes of causing an upset. "Kolo Toure would not relish playing against these two," he said.

"There would be pockets of space for Gabby Agbonlahor to run in to and not many defenders can match him in a foot race.

"Villa can enjoy the semi final while maybe Liverpool are running out of steam and momentum is building for Villa. I would not want to play against Agbonlahor and Benteke, if those two are up against you they are going to test you."

In Benteke, Keown like many others sees a player re-energised under Sherwood's guidance.

"I can see the frustration in a player who is burning with desire to do something for his club," said Keown, who made 133 appearances for Villa between 1986 and 1989. "He must feel he has won the lottery because he has a manager who generates everything to him.

"Villa are a big club with an ambitious manager and he is banging the drum and the players are following him. Benteke would not want to run away from that."