"Second half he was so much better" - Don Hutchison heaps praise on Chelsea star for his performance against Wolves
Former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison has praised Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku for his performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday.
He struck twice in the second half to give the Blues a comfortable lead but a late comeback from the visitors ensured a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
This was his first pair of top-flight goals since December, ending a 10-game drought to bring his league tally to seven for the season.
The 28-year-old opened the scoring for the hosts from the penalty spot in the 56th minute before adding another just two minutes later.
Romelu Lukaku hadn’t scored in the Premier League since December 29th.
129 days later and he's got a brace in 3 minutes ⚽⚽ https://t.co/FzZx49vvHw
Hutchison was impressed by Lukaku's form on the evening, even drawing parallels with his brilliant run at Inter Milan.
Speaking to ESPN, he said:
“Lukaku only had nine touches in the first half, second half he was so much better. He was screaming for the ball in at his feet. Second half he played like the Lukaku of Inter Milan where he was turning people, rolling defenders, he got the penalty. The ball from [Christian] Pulisic was perfect for his second goal."
Lukaku made a sensational return to Stamford Bridge last summer in a club-record transfer fee worth £97.5 million from the Nerazzurri. He started his second spell with the club on a bright note, scoring on his debut and netting twice against Aston Villa in his third game.
However, injuries and a bout of COVID-19 disrupted his campaign, as Lukaku also endured a worrying loss of form. He remains Chelsea's top-scorer for the season with 14 goals in all competitions, but it's a poor return for a striker of his standards.
Chelsea look forward to Champions League qualification and the FA Cup final
Chelsea have only four games remaining in the season, three of which are in the league as they aim to wrap up Champions League qualification.
@ChelseaFC 
Your 2021/22 #EmiratesFACup winners are amongst them 🏆
@LFC 🆚 @ChelseaFC
Who will it be? 👀 https://t.co/dFpk5qkbH1
Saturday's draw merely delayed it, but just five more points would be enough to achieve their objective. The Blues also want to finish above Arsenal, who are just a point behind them right now.
Chelsea will also face Liverpool in the FA Cup final next Saturday.