Thomas Tuchel claims Romelu Lukaku was ‘missing piece’ for Chelsea
Speaking in the post-match press conference (h/t Sky Sports), Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has praised Romelu Lukaku for his impact at the club since he arrived last month.
Lukaku made the move from Inter Milan to Stamford Bridge for a club-record deal of £97.5million and is already proving why the Blues shelled out the big bucks for him.
If the Belgian’s first game of the season against Arsenal was an introduction of the kind of striker the London club had landed, his goal against Zenit St. Petersburg indicated that he is a difference-maker for the club.
Although Tuchel’s men were unable to create a lot of chances against a drilled defence, they still managed to find a goal to seal a 1-0 victory, thanks to a well-placed Lukaku header.
After the game, Tuchel was full of good words for the 28-year-old striker and also credited his presence off the pitch for the Blues. He said (h/t Sky Sports):
“We did win also without Romelu and produced results. But he was the type of profile we were missing, not just because of the talent but because of the personality. He is such a humble guy, a super communicator in the dressing room, and that creates a certain energy around him in the team that we are proud of and what to have.
“The spirit and atmosphere last year took us very far and it’s important we have it again. We have it with Romelu, he knows what the club is about.”
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The Belgian’s prolific nature is such that he has now scored 4 goals in 4 games and has managed to score in every single game he has featured in, besides the club’s game against Liverpool last month, where the Blues were playing with 10 men for 45 minutes.
Thus, with the striker in rich form this season, Tuchel will be hoping to compete on all fronts in his first full season as Chelsea boss.