LUK AT ME NOW
First Bridge goals are dream for Romelu on Chelsea homecoming
HIS two goals led his Chelsea team to victory, his name echoed into the night and his manager hailed him as the difference in a tough contest as Romelu Lukaku enjoyed his own homecoming Saturday.
Stealing top billing from Old Trafford was never going to be easy but his own return is going nicely to plan. Playing at home for the first time since his £97.5million move from Inter Milan, he scored his first goals at Stamford Bridge, a decade after his Chelsea debut.
‘It was my dream since I was 11 to score here,’ beamed Lukaku. ‘I’ve worked hard for this moment.
‘I was up and down at the start of my career but I’ve found a certain consistency in the last three years.’
Lukaku has returned as the finished article, a powerful striker who understands his craft and is lethal in front of goal, as illustrated by his second, little more than a half-chance, fired into the top corner in stoppage time.
Mateo Kovacic scored the other to produce a flattering scoreline. Chelsea were far from fluent and Villa, aggressive and purposeful going forward, created chances.
It was Kovacic who unlocked Villa for the opener, twisting away from a tackle in midfield and releasing Lukaku with a wonderful pass.
Lukaku never looked likely to waste the chance. He collected the pass on the run in an inside-left channel, chopped inside Axel Tuanzebe and drove the ball low past keeper Jed Steer.
Villa summoned 11 efforts at goal in the first half alone with nothing to show. Thomas Tuchel’s reaction was to haul off Saul Niguez and send on Jorginho.
After the break, Tyrone Mings gifted Chelsea their second when his poor touch was compounded by an underhit pass to keeper Steer. Kovacic pounced to score.
Villa still peppered Mendy’s goal. Bertrand Traore fired over, Ezri Konsa headed straight at the keeper. But Lukaku showed them how it was done when he fired his second, unerringly into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area in stoppage time.