Lukaku ends Chelsea drought but he must do much more
James Shearman
- 9 Feb 2022 19:23 GMT
- 3 min read
Romelu Lukaku's first-half goal proved decisive in Chelsea's 1-0 victory over Al-Hilal, but the Belgian remains a long way from his best form.
Once again, the 28-year-old failed to make much of an impact on the game, as has been the case since he returned from injury over two months ago.
And, even though it was the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup, Chelsea will be disappointed that the scoreline was this close.
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In fact, in-form goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga did well to keep a clean sheet, otherwise it could have made for an embarrassing result against far inferior opposition.
''I don't know if it was the travelling or the air, but they didn't look right,'' former Chelsea striker Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink said after the game. ''A lot of misplaced passes, they need to sort that out in the final."
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel will be looking for a much better performance in Saturday's final against Brazilian outfit Palmeiras.
Lukaku continues to struggle
First, credit must be given to Lukaku for finally getting on the score sheet - his first for a month - given just how much Chelsea's forwards have struggled to do so this season.
But, the goal came from a cross by Kai Havertz, who looked bright throughout the match, which the Al-Hilal defender then deflected into Lukaku's path no more than three yards from the goalline.
Essentially, it was nothing to write home about.
And, apart from the goal, Lukaku rarely looked dangerous at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
This has been a common problem for the £97.5 million striker, who has just eight goals in 26 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions this season.
Contrast that to the 30 goals in 44 games for Inter last season and it is clear to see that something is not right.
That's nine goals Lukaku has scored for Chelsea this season and four of them have come when Havertz is on the pitch with him.
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) February 9, 2022
Of course, a minor hamstring injury, coronavirus and that infamous interview go some of the way to explaining his struggles, but there are footballing reasons as to why it isn't working.
The Blues' best forward in recent memory, Eden Hazard, thrived alongside strikers such as Diego Costa and Olivier Giroud, who would hold up the ball and bring the surrounding players into play.
That is exactly what this Chelsea team needs, with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz's fluid movement in the final third.
But, Lukaku isn't interested in being a target man.
He wants the game to be played to his strengths, which are running in behind opposing defenses and getting on the receiving end of crosses - things that his Chelsea teammates aren't offering at this moment in time.
So, ultimately, Tuchel has an interesting dilemma on his hands. Build the team around Lukaku or he'll continue to struggle.
