Strikers take centre stage
london — From Romelu Lukaku battering defences into submission to Alvaro Morata’s dazzling array of sublime finishes, one of the central themes of the Premier League’s opening weeks has been the renaissance of the star strikers.
In recent years, coaches with an eye for the latest tactical trend ditched the traditional forward role in favour of the “false nine” — a player capable of operating in midfield and wide areas instead of solely functioning as a penalty box predator.
But this season, the Premier League’s title chasers have changed tack, with many spending big on strikers capable of bringing a more pronounced edge to their attacks.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all reaped the rewards of that philosophy, while Tottenham and Manchester City have made the most of their inhouse talent, leaving only Liverpool, still searching for a prolific finisher, as the odd ones out.
Here is a closer look at some of the leading men in the Premier League’s blockbuster goal blitz:
When Jose Mourinho reviewed his frustrating first season as Manchester United boss, he was left with one glaring conclusion — the lack of a muscular finisher had wrecked his title challenge.
To remedy the situation, Mourinho splashed out £75 million ($100 million, 85 million euros) on Everton striker Romelu Lukaku and the bruising Belgian has wasted little time repaying that hefty fee.
Lukaku, once sold by Mourinho during their time at Chelsea, has appeared to the manor born with United, swiftly kick-starting his new team’s bid for their first title since 2013. With 10 goals in nine appearances in all competitions, including six in six in the Premier League, the 24-yearold has given United a swagger they badly missed during a series of dull stalemates at Old Trafford last season.
“They are amazing numbers for Romelu. He is humble and wants to learn and improve all the time,” Mourinho said.
Having cast Diego Costa into exile after growing tired of the Spaniard’s temper tantrums, Blues boss Antonio Conte has found the ideal replacement in Morata.
Initially, Conte wanted to bring Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge, but when Mourinho won that race the Italian switched to Morata, who arrived from Real Madrid for a club record £58 million. —