Manchester United and Arsenal were the two of the top 6 clubs in the Premier League that missed out on a place in the top 4 in the previous season. So it does not come as a surprise that both teams have spent big on a star striker this summer.
While Arsenal procured the services of French hitman Alexandre Lacazette, Manchester United completed the signing of Romelu Lukaku. Both players played in a different league last season but are now at new clubs and might take time to settle in. But who was better in the previous season? Here is a statistical comparison of the numbers of the previous season for both players.
With a shot accuracy of 65%, Lacazette has scored 27 goals and picked up three assists compared to Lukaku who has a shot accuracy of 64%, scoring 25 goals and picking up six assists last season.
With a pass completion rate of 78% and a successful take on rate of 69.70%, the French international was in terrific form for Lyon, causing nightmares for most defenders in France. Lukaku, on the other hand, did his job without much fuzz and registered a pass completion rate of just 66% and a successful take on rate of 66.67%, both of which are comparatively less than Lacazette’s numbers.
Lukaku has played almost 800 minutes more than Lacazette, but the Lyon star has created 1.53 chances per game registering 1.63 key passes per game, which is more than what Lukaku could achieve last season. He has just 1.10 key passes per game and 1.24 chances created per game last season.
Winning 41.16% of his aerial duels and scoring six headed goals, Lukaku proved that he is a far more effective striker in the air than Lacazette is, who has won just 33.335 of his aerial duels, scoring just a couple of headed goals last season.
Lukaku has also won 45.65% of his total duels but has suffered just 0.91 fouls per game. Lacazette is slightly more effective, and though he has won just 43.64% of his total duels, he won 1.33 fouls per game, which is right up there with the best.
It is hard to predict who will be a bigger hit, but one thing is for sure, both players will provide an entertaining battle for the Golden Boot in England next season.