Lukaku bags double against Everton
When Romelu Lukaku slotted the ball into the Everton net, the Manchester United striker had no intention of holding back on the celebrations.
Far from it. Especially after being jeered during yesterday’s Premier League game by the Everton fans who revered him before an offseason transfer across northern England. The Belgian, who cost £75 million, cupped his right ear to those supporters.
‘‘The celebration was just a bit of banter,’’ Lukaku said after scoring the third goal in a 4-0 drubbing of Everton. ‘‘I missed the free kick and they jeered me but I scored the rebound.’’
It compounded the miserable run for his former club. It’s now four consecutive losses in all competitions, three in the league, with Everton conceding 12 goals without reply in the process.
So early in the season, it’s looking bleak for Ronald Koeman’s side which demonstrated such ambition in the summer when it spent £140 million ($190 million) on talent. That doesn’t even take into account the free transfer of former United captain Wayne Rooney, who experienced a depressing return to Old Trafford on the pitch.
At least he received a warm reception, perhaps out of sympathy for the predicament he’s facing at his new team. The poor run of form started with a 2-0 loss last month to Chelsea, who were held 0-0 by Arsenal in yesterday’s other game.
Only alphabetical order is separating Manchester United and neighbours City at the top of the standings. After five games they have identical records. It is 4 wins and a draw each. Both have scored 16 times and only conceded twice.
Yet it was only Antonio Valencia’s half-volley in the fourth minute separating United and Everton until the 83rd minute when Henrikh Mkhitaryan slotted in a second. Lukaku struck in the 89th minute and a handball by Morgan Schneiderlin allowed Anthony Martial to slot in a penalty in the second minute of stoppage time.
At the end of a week when fellow Dutchman Frank de Boer lost his job after only four games at Crystal Palace, Koeman is feeling the heat at Everton.
‘‘We need to win, if you don’t win then it is better to stop,’’ Koeman said. ‘‘Every manager in life has doubts.’’ It’s time, though to be ‘‘realistic,’’ according to the former Southampton manager in his second season at Everton.
‘‘Fans, press, we need time,’’ Koeman said. ‘‘But it is difficult in football.’’
Not so for United, who have won their three home matches and scored 12 goals without conceding.
For the fifth time in eight matches, Chelsea had a player sent off. But David Luiz’s dismissal in the 87th minute for a high, sliding challenge on Sead Kolasinac came too late for Arsenal to produce a winner.
Still, a draw against the champions gave Arsenal their first point at Stamford Bridge in six years and provided a psychological reset after losses to Stoke and Liverpool in their last two away games.