A aim by Romelu Lukaku on his 2nd Chelsea debut and a strike by defender Reece James earned the Blues a joyful 2-0 employ at London rivals Arsenal on Sunday (August 22), their 2nd victory in as many games originally of the Premier League season. An nearly unstoppable Lukaku wished completely 15 minutes to rep off the label for the European champions following his reported 97.5 million pounds ($132.8 million) transfer from Inter Milan, tapping in a rotten performed into his direction by James.
The hover-lend a hand scored Chelsea’s 2nd aim himself 20 minutes later, taking his time to fireplace previous goalkeeper Bernd Leno after being came upon in acres of home by Mason Mount. Lukaku, who by no capability scored a league aim for the Blues in his first spell at Stamford Bridge, showed why Chelsea were ready to destroy their spending memoir to bring him lend a hand to the club seven years after he left London.
The Belgium worldwide offered the Blues with the roughly muscular presence in attack they’ve lacked since the departure of Diego Costa in 2017, both when working at Arsenal’s defence and keeping the ball up with his lend a hand to try.
He modified into as soon as eager within the transfer that led to his aim and completely a reflex build by Leno denied him a 2nd when the German palmed Lukaku’s level-blank header onto the bar with 15 minutes left.
Requested to picture his efficiency, Lukaku told Sky Sports actions: “Dominant, I’d instruct. Dominant but love, , love I mentioned, I try and toughen at any time when, I the truth is hang a lengthy capability to fade, but at the present time it modified into as soon as correct, to employ and to originate properly.”
@ChelseaFC hang acquired 5 consecutive away #PL London derbies for the fundamental time since January 2006 below Jose Mourinho#ARSCHE pic.twitter.com/Zp5HdDpQb9
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 22, 2021
Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel mentioned he modified into as soon as very fully happy with the capability Lukaku had settled into the crew so rapidly. “He affords one thing to our game that we did now not hang so great, love to present protection to balls and to play very say in front and to the final line,” Tuchel told Sky Sports actions.
“It’s seemingly you’ll now not originate better than with a aim. He nearly scored a 2nd one – it modified into as soon as a huge build by Bernd Leno – and he assisted some half of probabilities and probabilities. It’s a correct originate and we need to toughen from right here.”
Arsenal, who lost their opening game to promoted Brentford, were lacking a lot of key avid gamers through spoil and illness and each so regularly threatened to disrupt Tuchel’s properly-drilled aspect. The Blues, who saved one other of their trademark neat sheets, can also hang ample cash to originate with significant individual names corresponding to N’Golo Kante, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech on the bench.
