Romelu Lukaku scored his 100th Premier League goal on Saturday as Manchester United beat Swansea 2-0. He is the fifth youngest player to claim the record and the youngest foreign player to do it. Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane are the only players to reach the tally at younger age than Lukaku, who is only 24.
It took Lukaku 216 appearances to score 100 goals, which means he got there faster than Didier Drogba, Dwight Yorke and Rooney, among others. Many of the players who scored 100 goals in fewer games were also their club’s penalty taker; only six of Lukaku’s goals have come from the penalty spot.
When United signed the Belgian for £70 million in the summer, some said Lukaku would only bring to the table was goals. His first touch was criticised, as was his supposed inability to score in big games. Both statements were accepted as fact.
In five seasons in England before joining United, he had scored five against both Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as three against Manchester United and Arsenal, two against Chelsea and one against Tottenham. The 19 goals against the best sides in the country are even more impressive when you consider they were for mid-table teams, Everton and West Brom.
At United, his goals against Real Madrid in the Super Cup final and Chelsea in the league are the only ones he’s managed in big games so far, but he assisted Anthony Martial’s strike against Spurs, Marcus Rashford’s against Liverpool, and played an instrumental role in Jesse Lingard’s goal against Arsenal.
It’s true, though, that Lukaku was certainly more of a scorer than a creator before moving to Old Trafford, yet at United he’s provided seven assists in the league so far, which is his greatest ever tally. He has more assists than Sergio Aguero, Eden Hazard and Kane, and as many as Roberto Firmino, Raheem Sterling and Sadio Mane.
In all competitions, Lukaku has recorded 33 goals and assists in 45 appearances, which is a solid return for his debut season. He’s never scored more than the 26 goals he already has to his name this season suggesting that, despite already being in the 100 club, he’s only just getting started.
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"His evolution is clear,” Mourinho said after the Swansea game. “At Chelsea he was obviously young but he got experiences at good clubs before he arrived at Manchester United and then mentally he is more than ready.”
Lukaku is also now getting widespread recognition from the fan base too, with his name sung repeatedly at Old Trafford now. For club and country, he’s scored 11 goals in 15 appearances in 2018 and his improving contribution has been much appreciated by the home crowd.
Having started the season well and quickly getting in to the good books of the fans, he went off the boil a few months in to the campaign and even went through a short phase of not celebrating the odd goal that he scored.
Lukaku has turned a corner now and his work rate and determination has impressed the fans. The Belgian is seen celebrating the goals of his teammates as passionately as he would if he had scored them himself which has gone down very well.
“It’s not bad,” Lukaku said of his 100 goals. “But I want to add trophies to the personal stuff. There’s a lot of hard work to be done and I’m enjoying the challenge. I don’t like to talk about personal stuff. I’m a team player so I put the team ahead of myself. I’m a striker and I know there are a lot more goals in me, and hopefully I can add a trophy as well to the goals.”
Lukaku has another opportunity to make a name for himself next weekend when United face rivals Manchester City at the Etihad. If City win the game they win the league, so if Lukaku can score a goal to stop that from happening it would be greatly appreciated by his fans. Two weeks later United play Spurs at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final, which is another chance for Lukaku to show what he’s capable of on the big stage.
The Belgian has enjoyed a good first season for United but this is only the beginning. He’s a leader on the pitch with incredibly high standards and expectations for himself, so he will only get better in the years ahead.
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