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regular-article-logo Thursday, 09 May 2024

Premier League: Returning hero Romelu Lukaku sets Chelsea on way to 2-0 win at Arsenal

He needed only 15 minutes to get off the mark for the Blues after his reported $132.8 million transfer from Inter Milan, tapping in a cross played into his path by James

Reuters London Published 23.08.21, 01:40 AM
Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku competes for a header with Bernd Leno, Rob Holding and Albert Sambi Lokonga of Arsenal during their Premier League match at  Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku competes for a header with Bernd Leno, Rob Holding and Albert Sambi Lokonga of Arsenal during their Premier League match at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Getty Images

A goal by Romelu Lukaku on his second Chelsea debut and a strike by defender Reece James earned the Blues a 2-0 win at London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, their second victory in as many games at the start of the Premier League season.

Lukaku needed only 15 minutes to get off the mark for the Blues after his reported £97.5 million ($132.8 million) transfer from Inter Milan, tapping in a cross played into his path by James.

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The wing-back scored Chelsea’s second goal himself 20 minutes later, taking his time to fire past goalkeeper Bernd Leno after being found in acres of space by Mason Mount.

Lukaku, who never scored a league goal for the Blues in his first spell, showed why Chelsea were prepared to break their spending record to bring him back to the club seven years after he left London.

Arsenal, lacking several key players through injury and illness, rarely threatened to disrupt Thomas Tuchel’s well-drilled side, who kept another of their trademark clean sheets and could afford to start with star names such as N’Golo Kante, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech on the bench.

United stutter

Manchester United were given a reality check after last week’s storming start to the season when they could only draw 1-1 at Southampton after forward Mason Greenwood cancelled out an own goal by teammate Fred.

United began the campaign with a 5-1 home win over Leeds United last weekend but could not repeat that performance and were lucky not to lose to Ralph Hasenhuettl’s organised and dynamic side.

Southampton took the lead on the half-hour mark after a bright spell when Jack Stephens dispossessed Bruno Fernandes in the United half and the hosts swiftly moved the ball towards Che Adams, whose shot took a heavy deflection off Fred to squirm inside the near post and past David de Gea.

Solskjaer’s side levelled early in the 55th when Greenwood thumped a low shot under Southampton ’keeper Alex McCarthy.

Solskjaer was unhappy with the physicality of the match. He claimed that Fernandes was fouled by Stephens in the build-up to the home side’s goal.

“It’s a foul, he (Stephens) goes straight through Bruno, with his arm and his hip across him. We can’t go from one extreme of volleyball or basketball last season to rugby now,” Solskjaer told a news conference.

Alli on target

Harry Kane came off the bench to make his first Tottenham Hotspur appearance of the season as Dele Alli’s penalty earned coach Nuno Espirito Santo a 1-0 win on his return to his former club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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