Thomas Tuchel hails Romelu Lukaku as ‘the difference’ after Chelsea beat Aston Villa

Thomas Tuchel hailed Romelu Lukaku as “the difference” in Chelsea’s battling win against Aston Villa.

The Belgian broke his Stamford Bridge goalscoring duck with two well-taken finishes, including a superb strike in stoppage time.

And Tuchel explained that today’s performance was precisely why Chelsea signed Lukaku from Inter Milan.

“Today he was the difference, he adds another profile in our squad,” said Tuchel.

“He has the kind of personality and self-confidence, he knows what he’s up to, he wants to score and help the team, and he has the confidence and the composure to do it.

“They were two very difficult goals, there were no easy tap-ins and he made the difference for us to get three points today.

“He adds something to the group that we did not have in this capacity so far.

“So he was very, very good, and we are very happy.”

It was a day that saw the return to the Premier League of another expert marksman from an Italian club.

Cristiano Ronaldo also scored twice as Manchester United cruised beyond Newcastle.

Tuchel says he has no time for goalscoring comparisons between the pair, with the German suggesting he only cares about his player’s form.

“I couldn’t care less, as long as Lukaku scores for us!” said Tuchel when asked who he thought would end up with more Premier League goals this season.

“Romelu wants to score for Chelsea and that’s exactly what he did today.

“That’s why he’s here, he’s not shy to speak this ambition out loud, because he’s full of confidence and the kind of personality who can handle it. This is what he showed today.”

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