Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku was delighted after playing a key role in his side’s 2-0 win over Arsenal, describing his performance during his debut as “dominant”.
The Belgian, who joined from Inter in a £ 97.5m deal earlier in August, wasted some time getting started on Sunday and scored his first goal for the club within 15 minutes of concluding a post from Reece James, and he continued to bully the Arsenal midfielders throughout the game.
Immediate impact. ? pic.twitter.com/lCMmZUnJI5
– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 22, 2021
Lukaku was the clear difference between the two sides, and after the match he was more than happy to get the praise his performance deserved.
Asked to describe his own performance, Lukaku said (via Sky Sports): “Dominant, I would say. I try to improve every time, I have a long way to go, but today was good to win and to start well.
“Now we have to keep working, keep building and get stronger because the Premier League is a very competitive league. We are ready for the challenge and hopefully we can improve this.
“You want to work hard for the team, you want to win, you want to take your chances. It’s something I have learned and worked hard on, and I continue to work on it because this team is very talented. They are the European champions but they I want to keep building, I want to keep winning. We have to keep fighting, working hard and continuing to deliver achievements like this. “
Lukaku acted as goalkeeper and received no less than 22 progressive passes during the match, most in the match and 15 more than second-placed Mason Mount – and it quickly became clear that manager Thomas Tuchel plans to use the Belgian as the hub of everything Chelsea does.
“I think his profile gives us something we did not have that much,” Tuchel said. “He added a little depth to his game, and we can overcome pressure and play long balls.
Big win today Childhood dream came true ?? Can I finally say that to LONDON IS blue? C’mon @chelseafc pic.twitter.com/60EUDpQuK6
– R.Lukaku Bolingoli9 (@ RomeluLukaku9) August 22, 2021
“We can also record him with defenders on his back because he is a physical player, and we do not lose our strength in counters because he likes to run into open spaces. He is a very open and very smart and very friendly person, so it was easy for him to get in touch with everyone.
“He gives us more opportunities. It was day one for him now and there is much more to come.”
