Manchester United's re-energised Romelu Lukaku begins to answer his critics' biggest question

Lukaku has looked tired in recent months but he found a new lease of life against Chelsea

Romelu Lukaku scored his first goal against a ‘top six’ side for Man Utd (Getty)

It was influential rather than inspirational, more workmanlike than world class, but nevertheless the best performance that Manchester United supporters have seen from Romelu Lukaku so far.

There have been bigger hauls for the Belgian than his goal and assist in Sunday’s victory over Chelsea and easier days at the office too, but this was the first display that went some way to resolving the major reservations many still have about the £75m striker.

Even after scoring 11 times in his first 10 appearances and bullying some of the Premier League’s weakest sides, the question was whether he could be relied upon to do the same against stronger opponents. When blanks against Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City followed, the answer appeared to be a definitive ‘no’.

‘Flat-track bully’ some predictably said, citing Lukaku’s sub-standard career record against the Premier League’s best, but if anything this criticism was too kind. At the time, the less-than watertight defences of Huddersfield, Swansea, Basel and Brighton each had no issues keeping him out either.

11 in 10 became just two in the next 14 and all of a sudden, United’s marquee summer signing was struggling.

Since the turn of the year, the goals have gradually returned against these lower ranking opponents and on Sunday, that curious record against other top clubs finally improved too.

Lukaku’s equaliser against Chelsea, his first United strike against another member of the so-called ‘top six’, was still only his 16th in 64 career games against English football’s elite but it was created and executed with the single-mindedness of a player who appears ready to set that poor scoring record straight.

The Belgian has previously been accused of playing too passively and allowing himself to become isolated, but that same criticism could not be levelled at him on Sunday. He wanted to be a provider as well as a recipient, and there was a welcome show of tenacity to win separate duels with Andreas Christensen and N’Golo Kanté when initiating the move that led to his goal.

This busy approach also saw Lukaku set up United’s winner, crossing for Jesse Lingard to head home after he comfortably passed Pedro on the right flank, but as Jose Mourinho rightly pointed out post-match, many around Old Trafford will have left with the image of another stand-out moment.

Lukaku’s “incredible” burst at pace upfield in final few minutes, eagerly counter-attacking in search for a third, was a move that gave “an image of a team that gave absolutely everything to try and win”, his manager said. The surge forward was ultimately foiled by Thibaut Courtois, but this was still a sharp and powerful Lukaku, plugging away in the late stages of the game, his reserves of stamina belying the fact he has featured in all but two of United’s fixtures this season.

In a word, Lukaku looked ‘re-energised’ on Sunday and that may well be why that strange scoring duck against the Premier League’s top clubs finally ended.

It seems no coincidence that having started so prolifically following a long summer break, his barren spell began after the October internationals, just as the fixture list became intensely congested. His scoring touch did not return until it eased again in the New Year. United played each member of the ‘top six’ within this bleak winter, when Lukaku was looking jaded and overburdened with Zlatan Ibrahimovic unable to provide cover.

Was fatigue the problem? Would he have to wait so long for a ‘big game’ goal if United had played at least one of their main rivals at the start of the campaign? Were his struggles merely a consequence of the fixture list and a lack of squad depth?

Possibly, but Lukaku will need to repeat his performances against Chelsea before anyone can judge decisively in his favour.

Liverpool and Arsenal still have to travel to Old Trafford, while there is a forthcoming trip to the Etihad too – a ground Lukaku has found joy at in the past. Three blanks and the same old questions about his reliability will persist. Three goals and we may finally have some answers.