Romelu Lukaku has forged a formidable reputation over the years for his goalscoring potency, but he must now do it against Manchester United‘s ‘big six’ rivals if he is to truly become a title-winning striker.
There has never been any doubt about the Belgian’s ability to find the back of the net, but there have been incertitudes about his capacity to score in big games.
Club legend Paul Scholes’ recently called into question Lukaku’s abject influence in more critical clashes, doubting whether he has the capabilities of becoming a forward capable of leading the line and a title charge.
One player who flourishes on the big stage is Eden Hazard. The Belgian has made a habit of deciding big games – Liverpool his most recent victim – and has two Premier League titles to show for it.
And whilst Lukaku plays a different role to his compatriot, he must look to follow in the footsteps of Chelsea’s mercurial marvel if he has any aspirations of etching his name into United folklore and silencing his doubters with a piece of silverware.
With all that considered, how have the pair fared against the ‘top six’ during their time on English soil?
Record vs Manchester United
Lukaku: 12 games, 3 wins, 6 defeats; 3 goals and 1 assist
Hazard: 16 games, 8 wins, 3 defeats; 5 goals and 2 assists
Prior to joining the Red Devils in 2017, Lukaku featured against them on 12 occasions, though his only goals came during that magnificent 5-5 draw in 2013, which saw the striker score a hat-trick during Sir Alex Ferguson’s final game in charge. His other 11 meetings were not as fruitful as he fired a blank in all.
Eden Hazard has celebrated by sliding on his knees against Manchester United more than any other side during his Chelsea career.
2012/13: League Cup
2014/15: Premier League
2016/17: Premier LeagueGroundbreaking research.
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— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 5, 2018
Hazard has had varying degrees of success against United, scoring five and assisting twice in 16 matches, though he has netted the winner on two occasions, including last season’s FA Cup final.
Record vs Liverpool
Lukaku: 15 games, 3 wins, 7 defeats; 5 goals and 1 assist
Lukaku for Man Utd: 2 games, 1 win, 0 defeats; 0 goals, 1 assist
Hazard: 16 games, 7 goals and 1 assist
Lukaku scored twice against the Reds during his time at West Brom, and three goals in Merseyside derbies with Everton, though he also failed to score in six against Liverpool for the Toffees, and is yet to score against them for Man Utd.
Hazard meanwhile netted the only goal for Lille during a 1-0 win over Liverpool in a 2010 Europa League match. Since then, he has popped up with some very vital goals for Chelsea making the Reds his ‘favourite’ big-six victim.
Record vs Arsenal
Lukaku: 14 games, 4 wins, 8 defeats; 3 goals and 1 assist
Lukaku for Man Utd: 2 games, 2 wins; 0 goals and 0 assists
Hazard: 17 games, 8 wins, 4 defeats; 5 goals and 1 assist
Lukaku scored three times against the Gunners for Everton, though two were only consolation goals during a 4-1 drubbing in 2014, and the 3-1 defeat in 2017. He is yet to provide a single goal or assist against Arsenal for United.
Hazard has been a more consistent threat against the Gunners over the years, scoring five goals, as well as setting up Marcos Alonso’s winner in the decisive 3-2 win earlier this term. He also loves running rings around them.
Eden Hazard has completed 50 take-ons in the Premier League against only one team; the most he's managed vs. a single opposition.
That team is Arsenal.
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— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 17, 2018
Record vs Manchester City
Lukaku: 14 games, 3 wins, 8 defeats; 5 goals and 0 assists
Lukaku for Man Utd: 2 games, 1 win, 1 defeat; 0 goals and 0 assists
Hazard: 15 games, 5 wins, 7 defeats; 4 goals and 4 assists
Lukaku has commendably scored on five separate occasions against Man City, but he has only been on the winning side three times during 14 outings, also failing to provide an assist.
Hazard has only scored four goals against the club, but he has also provided four assists, as well as scoring decisively in both victories during the season Antonio Conte’s side stormed to the title – the sort of contribution Lukaku will need to make to start turning heads.
Record vs Tottenham Hotspur
Lukaku: 12 games, 2 wins, 6 defeats; 1 goal and 3 assists
Hazard: 13 games, 6 wins, 3 defeats; 5 goals and 2 assists
The Red Devil has not had the most pleasant of experiences against Spurs over the years, netting just the single goal and winning just twice in 12 meetings against the club, including the lamentable 3-0 capitulation earlier this season.
Chelsea and Hazard have enjoyed a lot more success against their cross-city rivals than Lukaku, with the winger netting five goals and winning six London derbies.
The Blues No.10 was brought on in the 2017 FA Cup final, with the scores level at 2-2, and scored the go-ahead goal before teeing up Nemanja Matic for his spectacular long-range piledriver. Another match-winning contribution.
Record vs Chelsea
Lukaku: 10 games, 3 wins, 6 defeats; 3 goals and 1 assist
Were it not for a brace in an FA Cup Sixth Round win in 2016, Lukaku’s record against his former club would be pretty underwhelming, netting just one goal and registering one assist in the league – both in the 2-1 win last season.
A neat finish to equalise and a brilliant assist for Jesse Lingard to head in the winner, it was exactly the type of performance the likes of Scholes are looking for more regularly from the Man Utd No.9.
Lukaku must now emulate Hazard
Including the statistics against Chelsea, Lukaku has accumulated 27 goalscoring contributions against ‘top-six’ sides, while Hazard has contributed towards 36, a very commendable feat considering the west London talisman is not a centre-forward.
It should be noted, however, that Lukaku was plying his trade for Everton and West Brom for the majority of the above matches, while Hazard has had the luxury of playing alongside world class talent over the years.
Looking at the contributions since Lukuku relocated to North West England with Man Utd, and the Belgian has only been directly involved in four goals compared to Hazard’s 10 against ‘top-six’ opposition – showing a distinct difference in the duo’s recent influence in big games.
Hazard was the fulcrum during Chelsea’s title successes of 2015 and 2017, producing a number of inspired performances across both seasons, and now, if United are to have any chance of replicating those achievements, then Lukaku must replicate the form of his fellow compatriot, and start dominating matches against their title rivals.
Luckily for him, there is one right around the corner.
The post Why Romelu Lukaku must emulate Hazard to become a title-winning calibre striker appeared first on Squawka News.
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