New record: Villa striker wins 21 aerial duels v Newcastle

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Christian Benteke won more aerial duels against Newcastle than anyone else has in a single game this season.

The Aston Villa striker set a new record for the Premier League this season, winning 21 headers against the Magpies, beating his own previous best of 16 against Chelsea – a tally matched only by Peter Crouch.

Benteke, however, still ended up on the losing side after Loic Remy’s late winner for Alan Pardew’s side, while he has also now gone four games without a goal.

As Opta stats show, of the top nine performances in the air this season, 23-year-old Benteke features six times.

His tally of 21 against Newcastle blitzes the field, though, as the Belgian continues to demonstrate his supreme aerial prowess.

There is perhaps the suggestion that Villa could improve their service to the striker but, for his part, he is winning everything he can in the air.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose,” Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert told Sky Sports after the 1-0 loss to Newcastle . “I think, especially in the first half, we created chance after chance and looked really threatening.

“In the second half I didn’t think anybody was going to score, albeit Newcastle had a bit of pressure, but it was a defensive error that got punished.”

image: © little-pete