Can Everton's Romelu Lukaku break through Arsenal's defence?

 

Romelu Lukaku

Of the numerous very good reasons to tune into Everton’s trip to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, perhaps the foremost is to see just what will happen when the unstoppable force collides head-first with the immovable object. Yes – Romelu Lukaku will face the Arsenal defence.

Of course, the above descriptions rather flatter both parties – Lukaku can, in reality, be stopped, just as Arsenal’s backline can be pierced, but both are units (and units they both are) enjoying resplendent recent form that has left their many respective doubters in a state of word-swallowing, humble-pie eating ignominy.

Just as the Belgian has managed eight goals in his 10 league outings in Everton blue, the Gunners’ rearguard has conceded just once in their seven games since the start of November – an astonishing run of form that has somehow flown under the radar while the dive-bombing Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil have blitzed eye-catchingly away at the other end of the pitch.

Over at Goodison, Lukaku has gone about making his permanent manager look as foolish as his temporary one looks shrewd. Roberto Martinez, especially in light of the recent displays of Gerard Deulofeu, can look back on a summer’s worth of mighty fine transfer business, while Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho can cast his glances between Willian, Samuel Eto’o, and Lukaku himself, and feel no shortage of shame.

Lukaku’s excellence this term is not only quantifiable in goals – although it is – but also on the facilitating work he does for his team-mates. His comfort playing back-to-goal, combined with a natural aerial dominance, means that he is a perfect foil for his high-paced support attackers in the way he’s able to lay off and flick on balls into their onrushing paths. Deulofeu, Kevin Mirallas and Steven Pienaar are the prime beneficiaries here, and it’s no surprise to see that his passes tend to be short, and often backwards or sideways, though this fact belies their effectiveness.

In recent games he has also presented a threat from drifting out wide – especially to the left flank, from where he both tested David de Gea and assisted Bryan Oviedo’s winner during Wednesday’s triumphant visit to Old Trafford.

This may become especially pertinent with the likely absence of Bacary Sagna from the Arsenal defence. Carl Jenkinson deputised ably for the Frenchman in midweek, delivering a fine cross for the opener, but he lacks his colleague’s raw physicality, an attribute which Lukaku is in no short supply of.

Indeed, physicality is barely present at all across the Gunners’ back line, with the centre-back pairing of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny specialising in the sort of defending that requires minimal tussles, battles and foot-races, with such one-against-one contests extinguished long before they materialise due to astute positional play. The firefighting done ahead of them, primarily by Mathieu Flamini, should also be held responsible for their recent purple patch, and likewise by the ball-retention yet further forward.

PL Interceptions by Defenders 2013/14

Perhaps they will succeed again through this method on Sunday – quashing the muscular threat of Lukaku by limiting his space and service, but the striker will be keen to engage in any sort of physical battle and will enter one brimming with a justifiably enormous level of confidence.

Whatever the outcome, there can be little doubt that Saturday’s match-up will bring intrigue, thrill or spectacle – and hopefully, all three. Arsenal’s defence may still just about be able to claim the label of ‘unsung heroes’, but should they prolong their stint at the division’s zenith on Sunday and do so with a clean sheet against one of the league’s form strikers, they will certainly hear their names echoing loudly around the Emirates.