Not even Romelu Lukaku can save Chelsea from itself

Romelu Lukaku’s introduction into the team was supposed to represent the final piece of the puzzle that Chelsea needed to fight for the Premier League title. He was supposed to catapult the reigning Champions League winners into the upper echelons of European football, turning them into a consistent juggernaut comparable to Manchester City. However, he’s nothing more than the duct tape holding a broken team together with every last fiber in his body at this moment in time.

The Blues have dropped nine points in the last month as they’ve gone from atop the league to eight points behind the aforementioned league leader. Their performances throughout December have been nothing short of abysmal as the flame representing their title hopes was extinguished without a fight. In fact, Lukaku is perhaps the only reason there isn’t a bigger panic in SW6 right now. The Belgian’s contributions in the last two games have prevented Chelsea from falling even further behind the Premier League’s elite. He has been able to keep the Blues afloat, but in the end, Lukaku’s efforts were not enough to save Chelsea from itself.

Chelsea needs to do more to help Romelu Lukaku help the Blues in January

The Blues have always been ones for the big occasions. When the lights shine brightest, no matter the circumstances, Chelsea shows up. The reigning European Champions have displayed this numerous times over the years, most notably on May 29 when they defied the odds and took down Manchester City in Porto to capture the club’s second Champions League trophy. However, they’ve always been ones to slip up against the underdogs, as well. The Bournemouth’s and Watford’s of the world typically give Chelsea the most trouble for one reason or another.

This is one of the biggest reasons Lukaku was brought in. He is a reliable striker capable of scoring 20+ goals per season against any opposition. The 28-year-old’s brilliance has already won the Blues games this season against the likes of Zenit and Aston Villa. Lukaku is a difference maker, breaking down stubborn low blocks in the matches where his teammates look off the pace. This trait alone is worth the £97 million Chelsea paid for him over the summer. It’s usually the difference between the Blues scrapping for the title and barely achieving top four. Nevertheless, Lukaku cannot be expected to carry the team on his back day in and day out. He needs some help.

Lukaku’s introduction against Aston Villa last weekend at halftime changed the trajectory of the entire match. He scored once and earned the decisive penalty to double the Blues’ lead, all in just 45 minutes of football, on the back of COVID-19. The world class No. 9 was once again Chelsea’s best player on Wednesday against Brighton. Lukaku’s hold-up play and off-the-ball movement created hope for an otherwise lifeless Blues attack. He got on the end of Mason Mount’s corner in the first half and gave his side the lead with a brilliant header over Neal Maupay. Lukaku’s job was seemingly done for the day. If not for injuries elsewhere to Reece James and Andreas Christensen, there is a slim chance he stays on for the entirety of the contest due to the fact he is in the same boat as Callum Hudson-Odoi. Each returned to training just two days before Aston Villa following battles with Coronavirus, so to say neither is match fit at the moment is an understatement.

However, more injuries in Chelsea’s starting XI kept the Belgian on the pitch for all 94 minutes of the game. He ran up and down the field, clearly out of steam, creating opportunity after opportunity for his teammates. How did they repay Lukaku for his efforts? The rest of the XI squandered chance after chance until sloppily conceding a 91′ equalizer to none other than former Arsenal man Danny Welbeck. It was a frustrating night for Blues supporters across the world, one can only imagine the annoyance that Lukaku felt following the disappointing draw.

The problem is this is not an isolated incident. Too often Chelsea leans on one individual to carry it through tough matches—whether it be Lukaku, Mount, N’Golo Kante or even Edouard Mendy. Those are undeniably four of the best players in the Blues’ ranks. While they can carry the team on occasion, this cannot become a bi-weekly occurrence or Chelsea will continue to struggle. Whether it be via the transfer window, through a formational change or by other means, something needs to be done in order to get the main players some help around Stamford Bridge.

What do you think Chelsea can do to help Lukaku? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!