Crystal Palace record signing Christian Benteke must start firing or Roy Hodgson will have to act

Liverpool's dynamic forward line is a reminder of just how much they have moved on from Christian Benteke — and leaves Roy Hodgson with a conundrum over how long to persevere with the striker at Crystal Palace.

The manager’s patience will not run out after a night of fine margins like this against a title-chasing side; a match which slipped away from them as a contentious penalty, a correct dismissal and then a stoppage-time counter-punch consigned the home side to a 2-0 defeat.

There were plenty of positives to take, not least how Palace defended stoically in the first half and refused to yield in the second, even once the otherwise excellent Aaron Wan-Bissaka received the red card his challenge on Mohamed Salah deserved.

Palace provided a sufficiently tough test to prompt Jurgen Klopp into accenuating the battle-hardened character of his team, keen to prove they have the resilience to match Manchester City stride for stride this season.

Klopp hailed Virgil van Dijk’s commanding display, dealing with Benteke “without conceding a foul” and claimed there were few centre-backs around capable of nullifying the Belgian to such conclusive effect.

Sadly, however, that is not the case. Palace’s record £27million signing has scored just three times since the beginning of last season — and only twice from open play — and that well-documented problem is not offset by his overall contribution to the team.

Palace were dogged and resilient without the ball, yet pushed back deeper and deeper as the first half wore on. They needed Benteke to help alleviate mounting pressure by offering a combative presence and an effective out-ball.

The home side had their moments, none more thrilling than when Andros Townsend struck the crossbar and Wilfried Zaha met the rebound with a fierce, goalbound volley which Trent Alexander-Arnold deflected wide.

Yet, James Milner’s penalty came at the end of a period in which Liverpool gradually asserted control and Palace counter-attacked with less regularity. Salah’s theatrical fall made the most of minimal contact from Mamadou Sakho’s challenge and referee Michael Oliver was convinced, although plenty of other onlookers were not.

Only Jamie Vardy (seven) has scored more goals against Liverpool than Benteke’s six since making his Premier League debut in September 2012, but such statistics only serve as a reminder what a fading echo of a once hugely feared player the 27-year-old has become.

A few minutes before his 70th-minute substitution, Benteke worked an opening on his right foot but fired hopelessly off target from the edge of the box. Those tireless supporters in the Holmesdale Road end had seen it all before, although that did not prevent warm applause for his efforts upon his departure.

Should Hodgson find a way to reignite Benteke, Palace will suddenly possess a useful asset, but they cannot wait for ever, especially for one who earns £120,000 a week.

Benteke did not have meaningful competition last season, but times have changed.

Alexander Sorloth has put last season’s nagging injury issues behind him and he replaced Benteke for the final act here, linking up play well in one particular move which saw Max Meyer come agonisingly close to meeting Zaha’s dangerous cross. Former Midtjylland striker Sorloth has made just six appearances since signing for £9m in January, but he may expect more than a bit-part role this season.

Similarly, Jordan Ayew, signed on loan from Swansea in the dying throes of the transfer window, has experience of this division and a point to prove.

This was Zaha’s first outing since signing a new deal on improved terms last week, committing his future to Palace in a manner which Hodgson hopes will make him the permanent talisman of his team.

Zaha relished the presence of Liverpool’s lauded attacking trio to match himself against. In the first half, he wrestled manfully to earn a free-kick from Salah, walking away from the scene by pushing out his folded arms by the elbows, jutting his chest forward, as if he was just getting started.

What followed, though, was not his most effective display and underlined the need for others to share the attacking burden in the months ahead.

Yet, in beating Fulham and pushing Liverpool, Palace have started in encouraging fashion, but it was a measure of Hodgson’s ire at Oliver’s performance that he even brought a positive question about his side’s start to the season back to Salah’s fall.

“Our target is to continue to try and improve, to try and get better, try and make certain we are not looking over our shoulder all the time from the relegation zone upwards and I think in the first two games I’ve got to be more than satisfied with what the team has shown,” he told Standard Sport.

“But, of course, it is far too early to say whether that will last through the next 36 games, we will have to wait and see. We will have to pick ourselves up after this disappointment because it is a very frustrating and bitter defeat when you lose like we did, where you will have to forgive me for saying what I feel. And that is: I don’t think we gave away a penalty and I don’t think Liverpool deserved to be leading 1-0 at half-time thanks to a penalty.”