Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku had a game to forget against Crystal Palace yesterday.
The Belgium international made an unwanted piece of Premier League history by touching the ball only seven times in the entire 90 minutes he spent on the pitch.
Hakim Ziyech’s late goal gave the Blues a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park, but Lukaku’s performance is surely a big concern for the club’s fans.
Lukaku joined Chelsea in a big move from Inter Milan in the summer, but hasn’t really lived up to expectations so far in his second spell at Stamford Bridge.
This latest anonymous performance just sums up how disappointing it’s been for Lukaku…
Romelu Lukaku broke the record for the fewest touches in a single Premier League game (7) for a player who has played the full 90 minutes since this data became available in 2003/04 ?
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 20, 2022
Lukaku has had moments in his career when he’s looked truly world class, but he has also struggled at times, most notably at Manchester United.
Now it seems Lukaku’s having similar issues at Chelsea, and one has to wonder if he’s got issues with his mentality that holds him back, or if top clubs are continuing to use him wrong.
That was arguably the case at a dysfunctional Man Utd side, but this Chelsea team seemed ideal for the former Everton man, so it’s not clear why he’s been so within himself at times.