Anatomy of striker’s perfect start

➤ Romelu Lukaku scored one goal and had a hand in a second on his Chelsea return. Here is what made his play so effective

High volume of shots

A striker’s job is to take shots. Romelu Lukaku managed a ludicrous eight in Sunday’s game against Arsenal, which unsurprisingly is the most by any player this season (Leicester’s Kelechi Iheanacho actually matched this total in a game against West Bromwich Albion in April). There was his close-range goal from a Reece James delivery, with the Chelsea wing-back’s freedom of north London the game’s defining tactical theme.

It took a spectacular Bernd Leno save to deny Lukaku his second from a header late on.

Arsenal managed only six shots as a team.

Sharp link-up play

During his first spell in English football, critics charged Lukaku’s general play with being clunky and loose. More mature and polished after a spell with Antonio Conte at Inter Milan, Lukaku was a highlyeffective fulcrum for Chelsea’s attacks.

Lukaku completed 12 of 12 passes in the attacking third, showing some deft touches and releasing the ball at the right moments.

At Everton and Manchester United, we saw Lukaku drift out to the flanks – usually the right – where he enjoyed turning and facing defenders to showcase his dribbling. Against Arsenal, he was far more of a central reference point, as the density of touches in the middle part of the pitch shows.

James was the most frequent supply line from the right, with Chelsea’s wing-back finding Lukaku eight times.

Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount were able to fire the ball to Lukaku centrally 11 times between them.

There was no better example of this than the build-up to Chelsea’s opening goal in the 15th minute, when Kovacic turned in midfield and whipped a pass through the 15-yard gap between Arsenal’s midfield pair, Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Powers of attraction

One of the more subtle benefits a world-class, game-changing attacker brings is space for others. Opposition defences will be so focused on stopping Lukaku that Chelsea’s other high-calibre attackers will be given more room.

The space enjoyed by James was an example of that, with Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney staying attached to Pablo Mari lest he get embarrassed. In the build-up to the goal which sent Chelsea on their way, Lukaku is surrounded by a ring of four or five Arsenal players. He sent play back to Kovacic, who exploited the overload created by Arsenal converging on Lukaku.

Another temptation, succumbed to all too often by Mari in the first period, is to get touch-tight to Lukaku, allowing the Belgian to roll you and turn. Defenders need to get their arm out and give him a yard.

Penalty-box movement

Lukaku did not have to display the sharp, double movements which have defined his career. He ran straight through and shrugged off Mari for the opening goal, and there was nothing particularly special about the build-up to his secondhalf header, which Leno saved. On both occasions, though, he was right where you want a centre-forward. The box presence was in stark contrast to the scampering Gabriel Martinelli, who led Arsenal’s line.

We should not be too harsh on the 20-year-old, who has been thrown into the team after the Olympics due to senior players being laid low by Covid-19, but Arsenal’s lack of power and threat in the box was obvious.

Defensive headers

Another reason why Lukaku will be compared to Chelsea icon Didier Drogba: he will do a sterling job for Chelsea screening the near post at corners. He made two clearances on Sunday and makes Chelsea even more solid defending dead-ball situations.

Immediate connection with fans

Chelsea supporters sang his name with gusto at the Emirates on Sundayand he went over to salute them at the full-time whistle. Returning to the club he supported as a boy and where he started his Premier League career gives the Lukaku story extra resonance, and he already feels part of the Chelsea fabric. What more could you ask from a (second) debut?