Romelu Lukaku returned to the English Premier League after a big-money move from Inter Milan to Chelsea. The forward joined Inter Milan from Manchester United in 2019 and won the Serie A title last season. He had already spent a few seasons in the Premier League and returned to his old club to add more goals and silverware to his tally. However, things have not gone the same way that he wanted, and the forward has struggled for game time and is yet to get into double figures for scoring goals in the league. Thomas Tuchel has dropped the striker in recent matches, and German international, Kai Havertz, has deputized in his place. With Kai Havertz in good form, the manager is unlikely to make a lot of changes, meaning that Romelu Lukaku might look for a transfer to other clubs to get more game time.
Romelu Lukaku has made 19 appearances out of a possible 28, and nine of them were off the bench. He has scored five goals and is yet to provide an assist. The above viz shows all the 27 shots attempted by the forward this season. He has managed to hit the target 11 times and converted five chances. Of the 27 shots, 24 were attempted from inside the opposition’s penalty box. Lukaku’s xG rate this season is 4.89. One of the goals was scored from inside the opposition’s six-yard box. He has also taken 52 touches inside the opposition’s penalty box.
Lukaku’s passing has not been that effective this season, but the player has successfully delivered some passes into the opposition’s penalty box. The Belgian has attempted 207 passes, and 19 of them have successfully landed inside the opposition’s penalty box. The 207 passes attempted by him include five crosses, eight smart passes, and six through passes. His overall xA rate has been 1.26.
One of the areas where the forward has struggled is winning the duels contested by him. Lukaku has contested a lot of loose ball (50/50) duels and aerial duels. Most of the duels in the opposition’s final third have been contested inside the opposition’s penalty box.
The above viz shows all the duels that were won by the striker this season. When we compare the above two visuals, we find that he has won very few duels this season. The striker has failed to win most of the loose ball duels, and this has created less pressure on the opposition. He has contributed a bit defensively and won a few aerial duels inside his box.
Romelu Lukaku’s struggle in front of the goal has been the main reason why the manager has dropped him to the bench in recent matches. He is yet to find his form this season, and this has been a big concern for the Blues. The player will also look for a move away from the bridge and could return to Inter Milan.
