Lukaku is off to a blistering start in second Chelsea debut

Romelu Lukaku’s 97 million pounds return to Chelsea has taken off in a perfect style with the Belgian registering his first goal for the club in his second debut match.

Having to undergo mandatory quarantine after his move from Serie A champions Inter Milan a day after Chelsea beat Villarreal to the European Super Cup meant he was not available for the league opener against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. He however was not be denied another London derby in the space of a week when the Blues travelled to face Arteta’s Arsenal.

And the Belgian made his presence count very early in the first half when he received Reece James’s low ball into the box and slotted bast Bernd Leno from six yards out. He was presented with another chance just two minutes later to increase his tally but his header flew over the bar.

Reece James doubled the Blues advantaged 20 minutes later following a build-up that also involved the new Chelsea striker. Alonso threaded a ball to Lukaku and as he tried to work the ball around, Xhaka fouled him but the referee played advantage to the Blues. Mason Mount then picked the ball and found the full-back in space with his pass which the latter blasted past Leno.

The two goals from Lukaku and James consigned the Gunners to two straight defeats in their opening two matches of the season having first suffered a 2 – 0 defeat to newly-promoted Brentford in the first match of the new campaign. The pressure on Arteta to find solutions to his side’s problems would now be enormous but if the solution was supposed to start with a good result against the European champions, then Lukaku has denied them that chance.

Chelsea will next face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in a late afternoon kick-off but their London counterparts will have another mountain to climb with an early Saturday kickoff against Manchester City at the Etihad.

By: Clifford Adumbire | myactiveonline.com