Romelu Lukaku Needs To Hit Top Gear Against City

Jul 1, 2014; Salvador, BRAZIL; Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku (9) celebrates his goal in overtime against USA during the round of sixteen match in the 2014 World Cup at Arena Fonte Nova. Belgium defeated USA 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Last season saw Romelu Lukaku join Everton on loan from Chelsea causing consternation and confusion in the Stamford Bridge camp as they floundered up front. All the while, The Toffees were rubbing their hands with glee that they’d managed to secure the brilliant Belgian’s services for an entire season.

Then they did it all again back in August on a permanent deal in the hopes that he’d successfully spearhead their attack once more. But can the towering Belgium international forward do damage this Saturday when his side travel to the Etihad?

With six league goals to his account already, on paper it looks as though the 21-year-old’s continued where he left off during the last campaign. But his actual performances tell a different story. Lacking that little bit of magic and audacity that made him such a fan favourite, like a lot of the squad this season he’s missing a beat somewhere.

Of course, the old adage has always been that if you’re playing poorly and still winning, you can’t very well complain – and the same can surely be said of scoring. Despite not exuding the same levels of cool exuberance, he’s still finding a way to hit the back of the net, something he has Leighton Baines to thank for as the England international has produced six Premier League assists for the club already.

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Looking ahead to their clash with The Citizens, one of the form teams in the division, the odds are clearly stacked against Roberto Martinez’s side, but a quick look back at last season’s head-to-heads shows that if anyone can find a way through the Sky Blues defence, it’s the former West Bromwich Albion star.

Scoring in their 3-1 away defeat as well as in their narrow 3-2 loss at Goodison the precedents are there that he knows how to beat Joe Hart.

And, much like he did in both of those matches, it’s vitally important that he rattles the net as early as he can. Because right now, Manuel Pellegrini is in charge of a group of players that are extremely determined to get themselves back in the hunt for the title and if the visitors can snatch an early goal and put pressure on them, they might just be able to hold on and weather the storm.

Martinez himself is immensely pleased at the way Lukaku has been able to put a finishing touch to a lot of his side’s moves, as reported by the Liverpool Echo:

"“We had to be careful with Kevin coming back from injury and playing three games in a week but he looked really sharp. I think the movement in the one-v-one with Michael Dawson was terrific and the finish from Romelu is what we are used to. It was a very good goal from open play.”"

In each of Manchester City’s last two matches in which they’ve dropped points, the other team has scored first. When they drew 2-2 with Queens Park Rangers, it was the R’s who took the lead in the 21st minute through Charlie Austin, while against West Ham when they slumped to a shocking 2-1 defeat it was Morgan Amalfitano who took the lead from as early as the 21st minute.

Like any side, City don’t work as well chasing the game. And while some might point to their 3-2 win over Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich in Europe as evidence to the contrary it’s important to remember they had the advantage of an extra man that night.

So, it really is important for Lukaku to make sure he’s got his shooting boots on this weekend and they need to ensure they take their chances as a team, otherwise they’ll get punished severely by their opponents. If he can push himself hard and put City’s back-line under pressure from every chance they get, it’s possible we’ll see Everton climb up the table another bit.

Do you think Lukaku can cause City problems on Saturday? Will it see him finally return to form?