Pearson, Benteke win Prem award for April
Leicester City Nigel Pearson says his team have a cushion from the relegation zone but with three games left anything can still happen.
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson won the Premier League Manager of the Month award for April, while Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke was named Player of the Month.
Leicester had been at the foot of the Premier League at the start of April after picking up just two points from their previous eight games, but Pearson then oversaw a run of four consecutive victories — followed by a 3-1 defeat to champions Chelsea — to lift his side out of the relegation zone.
Congratulations to @OfficialFOXES Nigel Pearson, 4 wins in 5 make him the #BPL Manager of the Month for April pic.twitter.com/QQvhppWZXI
– Barclays Football (@BarclaysFooty) May 8, 2015
Pearson faced criticism after asking a journalist if he was an “ostrich” after the Chelsea loss, but the Foxes are now 16th, a point clear of the relegation zone, after beating Newcastle 3-0 at the start of this month.
Villa, meanwhile, won only one league game in April — the 1-0 success over Tottenham — but Benteke played a starring role.
He scored in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United, hit a hat trick in a 3-3 draw with QPR and scored the only goal against Spurs.
He failed to get on the scoresheet in the 3-2 defeat to Manchester City but was unfortunate not to have won a penalty when he was controversially flagged offside late on in that match.
With five goals in April for @AVFCOfficial, @bentekechris20 has been voted the #BPL Player of the Month pic.twitter.com/dXA4SBN7Kf
– Barclays Football (@BarclaysFooty) May 8, 2015
Villa are now 14th, two points clear of the bottom three, after a Benteke brace helped them to a 3-2 win over Everton at the start of this month.
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Tim Sherwood hails @BentekeChris20 following his April award. Watch here: http://t.co/PbpDZRBA71 #AVFC
– Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) May 8, 2015
Villa boss Tim Sherwood said: “Delighted for him. It shows that the rest of the boys are doing something right in giving him the ammunition to score and Christian’s obviously doing something right by putting the ball in the back of the net, which is the hardest job in football.
“Very pleased for him and we hope he can pick up the gong come the end of the season another time.”
Benteke had struggled for form at the start of the season after returning from a torn Achilles tendon, and Sherwood added: “It takes some time to get back but I think it’s just about creating the chances as well. Christian will admit that if he gets the chances he scores the goals, and perhaps he wasn’t getting as many chances before.”
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