Romelu Lukaku scored his 22nd Manchester United goal on Sunday as the Red Devils came from behind to record a 2-1 win over reigning Premier League champions Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Lukaku’s strike, which cancelled out Willian’s opener, was his 13th Premier League goal of the campaign, and the Belgian then set up Jesse Lingard in the second period as Jose Mourinho’s side collected a huge three points.
Lukaku has had some fine matches in a United shirt this season, but he would not have enjoyed many more than the clash with Chelsea. The 24-year-old was sloppy and awkward in the early exchanges, but ended the match with a forceful run through the heart of his former side.
There remain question marks over the striker’s ability to perform consistently against the so-called bigger teams in the Premier League, but Sunday was a good start, and he will have the chance to further make his point when an in-form Liverpool visit Old Trafford in the Premier League on March 10.
“I started playing when I was 16. Year in, year out people expect 20 goals from me. I’ve been doing it for 10 years straight so I think I’ve proved myself,” Lukaku told reporters after the Chelsea match. "You expect a bit more respect but it’s the situation we’re in. I don’t listen to it. I just want to improve and show the people what I can do on the pitch.”
The simple fact of the matter is that Lukaku has been scoring goals consistently for over eight years. He got into double figures for a season as a 16-year-old at Anderlecht, and left the Belgian club having scored 41 goals in 98 first-team appearances.
Lukaku’s record of 15 Chelsea appearances without a goal is a rare blip in what has otherwise been a very impressive career. The Belgian scored 17 Premier League goals while on loan at West Bromwich Albion during the 2012-13 campaign, before managing 15 at Everton one year later.
The centre-forward ultimately registered 87 goals in 166 appearances for Everton between 2013 and 2017 – including 68 in 141 Premier League matches. Last season proved to be Lukaku’s finest ever return as he managed 26 in all competitions – 25 of which came in the Premier League.
With March almost upon us, Lukaku is on course to post his best ever season in terms of goals. He scored against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup back in August, and has managed four in seven Champions League fixtures thus far. If United are to make the quarter-finals of the European competition then Lukaku will surely have a big say in the second leg against Sevilla early next month.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane received widespread praise when he reached 100 Premier League goals, and it will be very interesting to see the reaction when Lukaku ultimately moves into the 100 club. As it stands, the striker has 98 in the top flight of English football, and he will be looking to make it a century when United travel to Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Lukaku’s goal against Chelsea was his first against a top-six team this season, but it is worth remembering that Mourinho has not exactly set United up to play with freedom against their main rivals this season. Those statistics also do not take into account the striker’s performance against Arsenal back in December, which was a key factor in United claiming an impressive win.
Sunday proved to be Lukaku’s 357th appearance as a professional footballer, and the match brought his 167th goal. When considering that a bulk of those appearances came at a club – Everton – not competing for major trophies, the numbers are even more impressive. Lukaku will not turn 25 until the middle of May, but he is already 28th on the list of top scorers in Premier League history – just four goals behind Matt Le Tissier and Kane.
The former Anderlecht youngster is also one of only five players to have scored 50 Premier League goals before the age of 23, and indeed just the fourth player ever to have managed 80 before the age of 24.
United shelled out an initial £75m to bring Lukaku to Old Trafford last summer, and there is every reason to believe that he will pass the 30-goal mark for the 20-time English champions this term. There will still be widespread criticism, but the forward knows that he has the full trust of his manager.
Lukaku will hope to fire United to silverware in the final months of the season, before heading up Belgium’s challenge at the 2018 World Cup. In 65 caps, the forward has scored 31 times for his national team – including 20 in his last 23 appearances to become their all-time leading scorer, which is not bad for a player who continues to be the subject of jibes from opposition fans.
Lukaku is right to demand more respect; his numbers warrant it. There are times when his touch lets United down, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. Aside from being an incredible athlete, Lukaku has shown during more than eight years as a professional that he knows how to find the back of the net. Maybe, just maybe he will soon receive the recognition he richly deserves.
