Premier League
Romelu Lukaku’s emphatic return against Arsenal proved Chelsea are Premier League contenders
On Saturday 27 April 2011, an 18-year-old Romelu Lukaku was introduced to the Stamford Bridge faithful for the first time, coming on for a brief and uneventful cameo during a routine win over Norwich City.
Almost exactly a decade later, Lukaku made his second Chelsea debut on Sunday and the circumstances could not be more contrasting. This time, the Belgian arrived as a global superstar, billed as the final piece of the puzzle for Thomas Tuchel’s side to make a genuine Premier League title challenge.
Expectations were high but Lukaku had no trouble living up to the hype, making Arsenal’s defence look even less competent than the Norwich back four he faced ten years prior. No offence to Zak Whitbread, Leon Barnett and Premier League winner Richie de Laet intended.
Right from the off it was clear what Chelsea’s go-to pattern of play would be with Jorginho immediately firing passes between the lines for Lukaku to take with his back to goal. This move drew the Gunners’ narrow defence out, and with Mason Mount and Kai Havertz occupying the half spaces, the Blues wing-backs had acres of space out wide
This formula was followed to the letter for the visitors’ opening goal at the Emirates Stadium with Lukaku offloading to Reece James before surging into the space behind the Arsenal backline that he created with his clever movement.
When James eventually delivered his cross, the Blues’ new number nine was in the perfect place to tap home. It was a mercilessly efficient goal and Lukaku added cinematic flair to the scene, with his mere presence making Pablo Mari tumble hopelessly to the turf.
The goal, scored just 15 minutes into his Chelsea return, set the tone for an imperious first half display.
Smelling blood in his one-sided battle with Mari he constantly looked for the same outlet ball to feet. He often got it too with the Brazilian powerless to prevent his opposite number laying it off and spinning in behind.
Although not directly involved in Chelsea’s second goal, Arsenal’s obsession with denying Lukaku the ball meant they were defending narrowly enough for James to drift into the box and finish Mason Mount’s cross emphatically at the back post.
He was equally devastating after the break too, only being denied a deserved second goal by a miraculous reflex save by Leno near the end. He should have had an assist too, with his cute pass to Kai Havertz not receiving the finish it deserved from the German.
All of this points to the conclusion that Lukaku is going to be everything that Chelsea expected and more this season. The possibilities genuinely seem endless. The balance between Mount dropping a little deeper into crossing positions while Havertz stayed higher was effective against Arsenal, but there is not a forward in Thomas Tuchel’s squad that does not stand to benefit from Lukaku’s arrival.
Timo Werner will be salivating at the prospect of racing into the space created by Lukaku, while Hakim Ziyech now has the ideal recipient for his inch-perfect balls into the box. Callum Hudson-Odoi will also be excited about both creating and being created for this season.
Of course, all of this must come with the caveat that the season is only two games old. However, it is impossible not to get excited about Lukaku’s near-perfect reintroduction to life in the Premier league.
It was a statement performance and the Blues must now – if they weren’t already – be considered favourites alongside Manchester City for the title.
-90min
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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