Is Christian Benteke the man to fire Villa up the table?

Benteke is key for Aston Villa's fortunes

Christian Benteke is back for Aston Villa, well now he has a three match ban, but still, when available again is he the man who can save their season?

Three wins and a draw hinted at a better season ahead for Aston Villa, but six consecutive losses have left them in trouble once again.

The Villans failed to score in the first five of those defeats, but took just 16 minutes of their clash with Spurs on Sunday to end their goal drought, with striker Christian Benteke looking like being the man to provide some much-needed inspiration in front of goal.

However, the Belgium international was red carded just past the hour mark and, after Villa slipped to yet another defeat, the question remained: can Benteke revive his side in the coming months? Once he's served a three-match suspension of course.

Benteke arrived in England in the summer of 2012 from Belgian side Genk and was an instant hit at Villa Park, netting 23 goals in all competitions in his first season.

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That sort of form sparked talk of a big-money move and the big frontman doesn't seem to have been the same player since, despite having withdrawn a transfer request and signing a new long-term contract, netting just 11 times in the 2013/14 campaign.

And things got even worse for Benteke in April when he suffered a ruptured Achilles which ended his hopes of featuring for his country at the World Cup.

That injury has also hampered him so far this term, but he looked to be back to his intimidating best early on against Tottenham, smashing a shot against the woodwork and giving Younes Kaboul the runaround on several occasions.

But his dismissal ruined his chances of helping Villa get the win they so desperately crave to move clear of danger.

Once Benteke is available again, can he rediscover the form of his first season in England? Yes, he chipped in with goals last season and was hindered by more injury problems, but he is running the risk of turning into a one-season wonder.

In fairness to Benteke, last season no other player in the Villa squad managed more than five goals in the league, so goalscoring is hardly a new problem for Lambert's side, but it remains one that they have yet to find an answer to.

All of this leaves Villa in an awkward position, with boss Paul Lambert clearing banking on Benteke as the main man to score goals for his side, with the smaller, nippy Andreas Weimann and Gabriel Agbonlahor appearing to be the perfect foils.

Czech Libor Kozak is also currently sidelined by injury and his goalscoring instincts would ease the pressure on Benteke, but, in truth, Villa's problems are much deeper than a lack of goals.

Their midfield remains lightweight, if talented, with only summer recruit Carlos Sanchez seeming to favour the physical side of the game.

Defensively the Midlanders are also vulnerable, with Dutchman Ron Vlaar - another who suffers his fair share of injuries - the only top-class performer, although they do have a high-quality goalkeeper in Brad Guzan.

So the omens are not great for Villa, who have been flirting with relegation for several seasons, only escaping the drop in 2011/12 by two points.

A lack of goals is clearly one of the issues that continues to plague them, with just five scored in 10 league games so far this season, but whether Benteke is the answer is debatable.

The powerhouse Benteke of 2012/13 could make all the difference, but the Benteke since that campaign makes a far less convincing case that he is the man to save Villa from life in the Championship.