Thomas Tuchel has proved he can win the Champions League without a prolific striker yet repeating the trick in the Premier League looks an altogether tougher task. This, the German hopes, is where Romelu Lukaku will come in.
To keep their title hopes alive, Chelsea must keep Lukaku healthy. His goal was pure class but his mere presence was enough to unsettle the Aston Villa defence. Not bad for a player only recently recovered from Covid-19.
After watching Manchester City move six points clear at the Premier League by putting six goals past Leicester earlier on Boxing Day, Chelsea struggled in the first half to show the attacking sharpness they will surely require to overhaul Pep Guardiola’s side.