Christian Benteke’s delight as he opens his Liverpool FC account

Christian Benteke spoke of his delight after grabbing the winner in Liverpool FC’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield.

The £32.5million summer signing from Aston Villa marked his home debut with his first goal for the club as he converted Jordan Henderson’s inviting cross before the break.

Bournemouth argued that it should have been chalked off as Philippe Coutinho was standing in an offside position but the goal stood as the Reds’ new No 9 celebrated a cherished strike.

“I think it’s a great day, for myself and the team,” Benteke said.

“The more important thing tonight is the three points.

“In my mind I just said ‘keep going and you might be able to get to the ball’. I made the right decision and I’m happy.

“I think it’s a great feeling, and it’s important for the confidence for the next game.

“The more important thing is the clean sheet. We didn’t concede and we won tonight so we go on to the next one.”

James Milner, who took over the captain’s armband after Jordan Henderson was forced off with a foot injury in the second half, admitted Liverpool will need to raise the bar ahead of next Monday’s trip to Arsenal.

“We know there is a lot of room for improvement, players have come in and it will take time,” Milner told Sky Sports.

“But we can’t ask for more than six points out of six. Arsenal next will be a tough match, they are a quality team.”