Step aside Ronaldo! Lukaku shines on Stamford Bridge return

Robin Bairner

11 Sept 2021 19:58 BST
3 min read

Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea, Premier League, 2021/22 — © ProShots

Romelu Lukaku’s return to Stamford Bridge could scarcely have been any more impressive, with the Chelsea hitman bagging two goals in a 3-0 win over Aston Villa.

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Signed for a club-record fee from Inter in the summer, there was a formidable weight of expectation on the Belgium attacker, yet the early signs are that he is ready to live up to his star billing seven years after returning to the club.

While Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United will grab the headlines thanks to his double-salvo, Lukaku is threatening to be every bit as important to Chelsea – and perhaps more so.

The Blues were let down last season by a lack of clinical finisher. Timo Werner was notably poor in front of goal, but where the German failed, Lukaku already seems set to thrive.

His debut came in a London derby against Arsenal prior to the international break and was marked with a goal.

His first match at home was arguably even more impressive as he struck twice against Villa.

Lukaku's deadly double

Ladies and gentlemen, the weekend. pic.twitter.com/p2do7OQJFO
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 11, 2021

Lukaku had some pressure on him going into the match. After all, he had never previously scored a goal at Stamford Bridge. He quickly set about remedying that fact.

With quarter of an hour played, he sprinted in behind the Villa defence onto a tremendous through pass from Mateo Kovacic. Though his team-mate had thread the needle to create the opportunity, much work was still required for it to be finished off. Lukaku did so with aplomb, turning inside brilliantly before finishing emphatically.

After Kovacic added a second after the break, Lukaku capped a comfortable 3-0 win in the closing stages.

Following a break down the right, Lukaku was presented with a square pass at the edge of the ‘D’. Although his first touch was not perfect, he was still able to generate tremendous power to dispatch a shot into the top corner of the net.

All that was missing from Chelsea’s play last term was this cutting edge, and if Lukaku can continue in this type of form, the net result will be a strong Premier League challenge.