Chelsea to unleash Lukaku Romelu Lukaku

LONDON – Arsenal’s miserable start to the season could get even worse as Chelsea unleash record signing Romelu Lukaku for his debut tomorrow.

Liverpool and Manchester United look to build on a promising start to their title challenge.

Lukaku has returned to Stamford Bridge, seven years after his first spell at Chelsea came to an end, for a £97 million fee after leading Inter Milan to the Italian Serie A title last season.

The Blues believe the Belgian striker can be the final weapon needed to turn a squad that already won the Champions League last season into English Premier League title contenders.

Lukaku is already in the top 20 all-time English Premier League goalscorers with 113 to his name for West Brom, Everton and Manchester United.

But, after an unhappy end to his time at United, the 28-year-old’s game went to new levels in two seasons in Italy.

“I think I’ve learned much more about myself, setting higher standards for myself,” said Lukaku on what his changed in his two years since leaving the Premier League.

“As a player I’ve become more complete because the game in Italy is tighter spaces, much more technical and tactical, which helped me a lot.”

Arsenal, however, will not have two new recruits – goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and midfielder Martin Odegaard – for tomorrow’s match.

Those two signings would take Arsenal’s spending for the transfer window above Chelsea’s after the arrivals of £50 million defender Ben White, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares.

That level of investment has come as a surprise with Arsenal facing up to a fifth consecutive season without the riches of Champions League football.

Arsenal travel to Manchester City next weekend and face heading into the September international break without a point from their opening three games.

Liverpool saw off Norwich comfortably last weekend as Virgil Van Dijk made his return from a cruciate ligament injury that derailed the Reds last season.

The nadir of a difficult campaign for Jurgen Klopp’s men was a run of six straight home league defeats that began with defeat to Burnley in January.

Sean Dyche’s men return to Anfield in very different circumstances this weekend in front of the first full house for a Premier League game since before Liverpool ended a 30-year wait to win the title in 2020.

In front of a home crowd, Klopp’s side have not lost a league game since 2017.

United will also be confident of building on their opening 5-1 win over Leeds when the Red Devils travel to Southampton tomorrow.

English Premier League Fixtures

Today: Liverpool v Burnley (1:30pm); Manchester City v Norwich; Leeds v Everton; Aston Villa v Newcastle; Crystal Palace v Brentford (all 4pm); Brighton v Watford (6:30pm).

Tomorrow: Wolves v Tottenham; Southampton v Manchester United (both 3pm); Arsenal v Chelsea (5:30pm).

Monday: West Ham v Leicester (9pm). –AFP

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