Why Lukaku will dominate the EPL this season

Lukaku has been in flying form so far this season

It’s no secret, Romelu Lukaku is set to become one of the Premier League’s top performers this season.

Ever since his season-long loan move to Everton from Chelsea in the summer, the Belgian international has been in red-hot form as he’s helped fire his side to a very impressive start to the campaign which sees them currently sitting in the top half of the table within touching distance of the top four.

And with a break in league action foisted upon the players this week, it’s a good time to reflect upon Lukaku’s early exploits in an Everton shirt.

Without a doubt, his physicality, height and tremendous ability to hold the ball up has been integral to his successful spell with the Merseysiders to date, but even more vital than this has been his skill with the ball at his feet. Technically, he’s a tremendously gifted player who has a lot more to offer than many towering forwards are normally accredited with and he certainly isn’t afraid to get the ball down and beat defenders with technique as well as sheer strength.

In truth, he’s been one of the most impressive strikers in the league so far with four well-taken goals to his name already in only three appearances – just two of which were starts.

Considering that he’s shown an excellent account of himself early on with less than a handful of matches played in a side that’s still going through the early phases of gelling together underlines even more just how good he has been.

But can the big Belgian keep up his excellent form under pressure from a side that desperately need his services?

Certainly, the 20-year-old is Everton’s most important striker in Roberto Martinez’s squad, and with that responsibility is sure to come an increased amount of pressure – even for a striker who’s only playing for the Toffees on loan.

Add to this, next summer’s World Cup that’s looming over every player who’s harbouring serious ambitions of playing in Brazil and it becomes clear that Lukaku needs to churn out big performances to win over the fans – but also to guarantee a ticket on Belgium’s plane to Rio.

However, it’s been so far so good for Lukaku and his team-mates as he’s not only put in several individually brilliant performances, but he’s shown some very promising early signs of developing a great understanding with 19-year-old protégé Ross Barkley.

Their great link-up play during the Blues’ 3-2 victory over Newcastle at Goodison Park a few weeks ago highlighted a relationship that’s bound to blossom further over the course of the 2013-14 season provided they can both steer clear of injury.

In short, Lukaku has perpetuated his ability to meld into the scenery at whichever club he finds himself. A quick look back at his loan spell with West Bromwich Albion tells us that his penchant for building chemistry quickly with his club-mates is no fad.

Under Steve Clarke, he netted 17 times in the league, the same amount as Fernando Torres, Oscar and Branislav Ivanovic combined, and this season, he’s outdoing his Chelsea compatriots again – Incredibly, none of Jose Mourinho’s forwards have beaten a single ‘keeper yet.

With news emerging from The Mirror that Lukaku wanted to leave Stamford Bridge one might think that perhaps he didn’t have the stomach to fight for his place alongside the four other strikers. However, if anything, the former Anderlecht frontman has portrayed himself as even more enterprising by departing for a club he had to acclimatise quickly to.

In short, his willingness to play regular football should be applauded.

Considering he’s Martinez’s first-choice striker, Lukaku is going to get a lot of minutes under his belt which, if he maintains his excellent form of late, is bound to lead to a glut of goals between now and the beginning of May, and will put him in an excellent position to win the League’s golden boot award – although he will face stern competition from the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Luis Suarez and Olivier Giroud and others.

However, with Everton now a re-invented, reinvigorated outfit, Lukaku has a creative, fresh group of players at his disposal to help him rattle the net as regularly as possible. Gareth Barry and James McCarthy, who have looked composed and settled as a pairing, now form the hub in the middle of the field which will allow Lukaku and Barkley a great platform from which to build and should bestow further creative licence on the Toffees’ attack.

Last season, Everton didn’t have a prolific goalscorer to spearhead their attack, but now that they have one, he is sure to be given as much freedom to threaten the opposition net as possible for the remainder of the season, and that could well be the most important factor to his success – the confidence that is being shown to him.

All the right ingredients are there for the developing forward to become a major force in English football – this season could well be a defining moment in his career, and it promises to be entertaining viewing.