Why Tuchel snubbed Lukaku for Carabao Cup final

Cameron Smith

• 27 Feb 2022 15:57 GMT
• 6 min read

The dream comeback. The kid now a man. The failure returning to become a hero.

That was what Romelu Lukaku's transfer to Chelsea was billed as. The reality has been unimaginable.

His second spell at the club hasn't gone as planned or expected, and he faces an uphill battle to kickstart his career. Not only that, but he could well face a battle just to simply be a starter for Chelsea again.

The Carabao Cup final against Liverpool provides Thomas Tuchel with yet another chance of silverware, but Lukaku has once again been left out. Kai Havertz has been preferred in attack just as he was in the 2-0 Champions League win over Lille on Wednesday.

With Lukaku left out of such a big game, is his career at Chelsea now effectively over?

The backstory

The Belgium international joined the Blues at the mere age of 18, and despite successful loan spells to West Brom and Everton he never made the grade at Stamford Bridge. His miss in the Super Cup final penalty shootout against Bayern Munich signalled the end of his time at the club, and it seemed as though it was simply a case of right player, right club, wrong time.

Lukaku's love for Chelsea was clear for all to see, but it never look destined to work out. That didn't stop him from destroying the Blues with an FA Cup double at Goodison Park in 2016, or from joining Manchester United in 2017 when he appeared set to re-join the Stamford Bridge outfit.

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His subsequent time at Old Trafford may not have worked out, but Lukaku exploded under Antonio Conte at Inter.

He slimmed down, played as one-half of a split striker pairing with Lautaro Martinez, contributed 80 goals and assisted in 95 games across two campaigns, and earned himself a club record move to Chelsea in 2021.

The present day

Fast forward now, and Lukaku's Chelsea career looks to be hanging by a thread - and a thin one at that. His infamous interview with Sky Italia, in which he revealed his love for Inter and regret at leaving, began a sequence of events that nobody could've predicted after his demolishing second debut against Arsenal back in September.

He was dropped from the squad for the crazy 2-2 draw with Liverpool, arguably one of Chelsea's best performances this season, he's netted just one goal in his past nine Premier League starts, fans have called for his head and, as mentioned, Havertz was preferred in the last-16 Champions League first-leg victory over Lille.

Now during that time, Chelsea have also dropped out of the title race and appear set for a top-four fight with the likes of Arsenal.

Lukaku can't solely be blamed, but he's certainly played his part in their recent demise, and it has now got worse for Belgium's all-time record goal-scorer.

Chelsea's Carabao Cup final against Liverpool provides Tuchel with the chance to win another trophy, but he has not had the trust in Lukaku to start him. That's not a a good look for the €115 million man, and will leave serious doubts over his future.

Did Lukaku deserve to start the cup final?

Havertz was superb against Lille in midweek, even discounting his goal. His seventh-minute header was the cherry on top of a performance that deserved the praise it received.

His movement caused problems for the Lille defence all night long, while his pressing ensured Chelsea were able to squeeze up the pitch. It's perhaps not a coincidence that since Lukaku's return, Chelsea have struggled defensively as well as offensively; his lack of pressing, in comparison to Havertz or Timo Werner, make Chelsea far easier to play against.

Not only that, but Chelsea are far more potent without Lukaku. In the 12 Premier League games that Lukaku has started this campaign, Chelsea have scored just 18 goals, while in the 14 league games in which he hasn't started, they've scored 33 goals.

So, it's 1.5 goals per game he starts in the league, the exact same as Chelsea managed last campaign, or 2.4 goals per game when he doesn't start. That doesn't paint a nice picture for a club record signing.

Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, Lukaku didn't start against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues terrorised the Reds' backline at points during the game. They looked dynamic and sharp, something that can't be attributed to Lukaku's form at the club.

Havertz simply suits the way Chelsea attack far better, and hence why he has been given the nod by Tuchel.

Is Lukaku's Chelsea career over?

Serious questions about Lukaku's future will now be raised, and for good reason.

His form, lack of suitability to this Chelsea side, and of course that interview mean he looks like he's on borrowed time at Stamford Bridge.

Now, Chelsea would only sell if an offer close to what they paid for him last summer came in, but that seems out the question right now, which puts the club in a difficult position.

His wages are also extremely high, reportedly £325,000 per week, so letting him rot away on the bench would be a pricey thing to do.

The only option Chelsea would then have is to try and find a system that suits him and the rest of the squad. It may not work, but Tuchel may have to try a new style, a new shape - just something to try and fit this square peg in a round hole.

It's unlikely that Lukaku's career at Chelsea ends with him not starting the Carabao Cup final, but if this becomes a pattern throughout the rest of the season then Lukaku will surely seek an exit himself.

It's a situation that could become untenable, and Chelsea are certainly paying for signing a player who was never going to suit Tuchel's preferred way of playing.

While he looked like the perfect signing given his goal-scoring nous, Chelsea's pressing style, complimented with large doses of possession, doesn't play to Lukaku's biggest strength - driving forward from the right-hand channel on the counter-attack.

Now, either Chelsea will need to change or Lukaku will; neither appear willing, or able, to alter their styles, and the result isn't a pretty one.