Alvaro Morata and Romelu Lukaku were both embroiled in one of the biggest transfer sagas in the summer, following which they joined Chelsea and Manchester United respectively. Both players made sensational starts to their journey with their new clubs but after a brief run of good fortune, both players appear to have slowed down when it comes to scoring goals.
In fact, in the opening weeks of the season, it appeared that both clubs had hit jackpot with their purchases, with Morata scoring 7 goals in his first 8 games in all competitions for Antonio Conte’s team and Lukaku hitting 11 in 10 outings for Jose Mourinho’s side. However, since the end of September, the goals have dried up and both have seen their momentum halted by injuries, which has led to a general dip in form.
A goal for either player would considerably boost their image in front of their fans, but can it guarantee better form for them in the long-run? As we have seen before, scoring goals alone is not enough for a striker. There are a lot of other contributions that need to be considered but unfortunately Morata and Lukaku have struggled on both fronts.
Having said that, which player is in a comparatively better situation? Let’s take a look at their numbers.
Alvaro Morata vs Romelu Lukaku
In 11 appearances for Chelsea, Morata has spent 879 minutes on the field during which he has managed to score 7 goals – including one in the Champions League. The player has also chipped in with 3 assists, and has picked up 2 yellow cards. He enjoys an average 3.1 shots per game which is quite decent, but it is not up to his level. His pass success rate stands at a modest 70.8%, while winning an average of 1.3 aerial battles per game. The Chelsea man was also declared as the man of the match on one occasion in the Premier League.
Lukaku, on the other hand, has appeared 14 times for United, having spent 1260 minutes on the field. He has scored 10 goals – which includes 3 Champions League goals, and has provided 3 assists to show for his efforts. He has picked up one yellow card but he enjoys an average of 3.6 shots per game. However, his pass success rate is not the best as it stands at 69.8%. He wins 3.2 aerial duels per game on an average, and has won the Man of The Match award on two occasions – including once in the Champions League.
Verdict
Although Lukaku’s numbers appear marginally better than Morata’s, there is no denying that the players are far from their best. Maybe it is a lack of understanding with the team or just a general period of poor form but whatever it is, they need to snap out of it soon. Neither of them is living up to their billing at the moment and their careers could take a massive dive downwards if they fail to turn things around on Sunday.