Battle lines drawn in the new golden age of Premier League strikers
Morata’s arrival from Real Madrid, for €60m, has so far proven a big success for Chelsea with the 24-year-old scoring seven goals in his first eight games, including a hat-trick at Stoke as well as a crucial Champions League goal in their impressive victory at Atletico Madrid in midweek.
Allied to exciting performances from Romelu Lukaku at Manchester United, Alexandre Lacazette at Arsenal, Harry Kane at Spurs and Gabriel Jesus at City (where Raheem Sterling has also stepped up a gear and Sergio Aguero, at least before his injury in a car crash in Amsterdam yesterday, continued to score with abandon), there is a real sense that the Premier League now boasts a better collection of world-class strikers than ever before.
Premier League leaders City have already scored 29 goals in all competitions this season, the same as Manchester United, with Chelsea only three behind.
So it’s little wonder that today’s late-afternoon kick-off at Stamford Bridge is being awaited with heightened anticipation, especially after Antonio Conte’s side performance in Madrid.
For Ireland legend Roy Keane, who has been working as a pundit for ITV this week, it is the kind of game which could provide a real insight into which players have the potential to be title-clinchers.
“We are looking at these outstanding strikers and they are all in great form now but the time to judge them will be at the end of the season when the medals and trophies are being handed out,” he said. “It’s crunch games when one goal will be the difference.
“For me, the big test will be in the big games, especially for Lukaku because United haven’t had to play anyone big yet.
“You can only beat what’s in front of you but the big test for all United strikers is whether he can score the big goals in the big games.”
Lukaku, who faces Crystal Palace (winless, pointless, and goalless so far this season) at home today has an opportunity to forge ahead of his rivals by making hay at Old Trafford but it will be the performance of Morata against leaders City which draws the most attention. When the Spaniard missed a penalty for Chelsea in a Community Shield defeat against Arsenal at Wembley there was not exactly a long queue of pundits lining up to suggest he would be the big hit of this season’s Premier League.
“I have only played two pre-season games, 15 official minutes and a failed penalty and they’re already killing me, so I know what’s ahead,” the striker said ruefully that day.
Since then, however, it has been very different. Something has clicked and Morata, who set himself a target of 20 goals this season, already has seven, including four in his last two games.
As Chelsea hero Graeme Le Saux remarked: “A few people in the summer questioned whether he would score goals in the Premier League but he has already proved them wrong.”
It may still be a little early to be certain Morata’s form is permanent, however, and where City have an advantage is in the depth of their goalscoring potential.
There will be a nervous wait to see the severity of Aguero’s injuries — the Argentinian is his side’s top scorer this season and only one goal away from equalling Eric Brooks’ club record of 177 goals in a City shirt — but there is impressive backup in the shape of Jesus, Sterling, and Sane who have all scored regularly in the opening months of the campaign, while David Silva currently tops the Premier League’s assist chart.
A 5-0 demolition of Liverpool, a similar result against Crystal Palace and six goals at Watford show the team’s potential following a €200m transfer injection in the summer.
Ric Turner, of City fanzine Blue, has high hopes for this afternoon’s game and for the remainder of the season.
He said: “City have started the season extremely well, and the new signings have made an instant impact. Pep Guardiola was hampered last season by an ageing defence, but Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy, and Danilo have added a new dimension to the team.
“Ederson Moraes is a huge upgrade on Claudio Bravo and has instilled confidence in a previously suspect backline.
“It is worth noting that the Blues started last season in a similarly impressive fashion, only to tail off before Christmas, but things feel different this time around. We are a constant threat going forward, and opponents are unable to cope with our attacking options.
“Kevin De Bruyne is in the form of his career, and is arguably the best midfielder in the division, whilst David Silva is as majestic as ever. Stiffer challenges lie ahead of course, starting at Stamford Bridge, but optimism is high amongst City fans.”
It’s fair to say the same sentiment is shared across Manchester at Old Trafford where Lukaku has arguably been the buy of the season so far.
“He was a bargain at £75m,” said Keane.
“He’s got off to a good start, and seems like a decent character. He’s a good player, a good age and he knows the Premier League.
“You look at his record at Everton, and he’s gone to a much better team. It’s so obvious he’s going to get 25-30 goals this season.”
In fact he has 10 already (14 including international goals) so Keane’s prediction may prove to be conservative — and even Jose Mourinho admits he has been surprised by the way his striker has started the season.
“I knew that he would always score goals and I knew that he would score more goals for us than for Everton or West Bromwich Albion, that’s logic. But I was not expecting him to be putting the ball in the net, match after match,” he said.
Lukaku is a very different style of player to Morata at Chelsea or Aguero at City, of course, but his power and presence makes him perfect for the Premier League and United fans have taken to him quickly. “I thought he would do well,” said Barney Chilton of the Red News fanzine.
“I remember a fierce debate at half-time at Old Trafford at the end of last season when Everton came and I said I hoped we’d go for Lukaku — strong, intelligent, and though at times frustrating in an Everton side, the key was it was a frustrating Everton side.
“People like to suggest the negatives, his touch, but he’s a young, improving, switched-on striker.
“He will need to improve, but that’s what happens at United if you get it right.
“He’s tucking away chances — and if he can help create his own, and score the harder chances, he could be crucial this season.
“Plus we also need to get more crosses in, because he’s very good in the air.
“Yes, there were doubters but quite a few former United players expected him to do very well — they could see his development and he will only get better.
“Come May, I don’t think many people will be looking for old YouTube videos of a first touch that was exaggerated along with his transfer fee. He’s here to get 25-30 goals.
“And he’ll do that. Get them in our biggest games and he’ll win everyone over.”
That’s not something Lukaku can achieve this weekend — his stage will come at Anfield on October 14— but down at Stamford Bridge, Alvaro Morata has a chance to take centre stage. The battle of the strikers is shaping up to be something special.
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