The hunting season is open and the main ’game’ is Manchester City. After dropping too many points, Chelsea are now in third place in the Premier League and are forced to be hunters. Pep Guardiola and his men are in top form while the Champions League winners have stumbled and are forced to treat every game like a final. That’s the main message from Romelu Lukaku, a bit forgotten Chelsea striker, who finally played for the Blues in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa. Lukaku comes in from the bench to save the Blues and loosens up much-pressured TuchelThe Belgian scored along the way, and it’s his first goal since September. Lukaku had an ankle problem in November, then failed to convince coach Thomas Tuchel that his form is worth a place in a starting 11, and then he tested positive for Covid. But, in the end, Lukaku is back, he scored and Chelsea won. „I think I needed a performance like this today. It’s been difficult getting ends of the game, every footballer wants to be on the pitch. The manager has his reasons, but I kept working hard and today was good first to win, and then for myself personally I’m happy with my performance and I want to push on. The goal was about movement. I think balls from crosses and stuff, throughout the years my movement in the box has been better. I try to be less static and try to be on the move all the time. The cross was a brilliant cross and then I just flicked it in. I think that’s one of my preferred actions, running into space and using my speed and my power. The defender made contact and then Jorginho finished it off for us“ said the Belgian. (7.25) NEWCASTLE (4.50) MANCHESTER UNITED (1.50)And Lukaku knows that sometimes six points difference in the title race could be crucial, so he believes Chelsea must continue to win all the way and treat every game like a final. „We are the hunters now. The last results for us were not the best and now we have to chase. Every game for us from now until the end of the season is a final, you have to treat them like finals because every game in the Premier League is very difficult. But today we won and now we have to push on and keep chasing. Today we had to do a job, we had to win the game. Aston Villa was doing really well in the last couple of games, credit to Steven Gerrard and his staff and their players, they have a really good team and it wasn’t easy for us. Now we have to push on and make sure that every game is a final. Win, and that’s it“ explained Lukaku to Sky Sports after the match. Rangnick offers fortune for a wunderkind labelled as ‘the next Kai Havertz’But for coach Tuchel, Covid cases and the league’s refusal to postpone matches has been the talk of the day after a 3-1 win. „We are taking huge risks. We were forced to play Callum Hudson-Odoi for 90 minutes straight after he recovered from Covid-19 due to injuries. Who decided that? They make us play. We play two more cup games. We play against teams with games postponed. This cannot be the right way. They make us play all the time even if we have Covid. We have new injuries and it won’t stop. People at the green table, in offices, make these decisions. Nobody doubts Romelu is a key player. We put him on for 45 minutes which was more than the fitness and medical department recommended“ said Tuchel.
