The Chelsea striker came on at half-time and changed the game for the visitors, who ran out 3-1 winners at Villa Park.
Former Chelsea manager turned pundit Glen Hoddle believes Romelu Lukaku proved a point in the Blues’ 3-1 Boxing Day win over Aston Villa.
A Reece James own goal put the home side in front after 28 minutes, but a Jorginho brace from 12 yards and the striker’s header saw the West London side turn the game around.
Lukaku’s goal, 11 minutes after replacing Trevoh Chalobah, ended a three-month Premier League drought with a loss of form, injury, and illness slowing down the Belgium marksman since September.
Aside from his goal, the 28-year-old also won the second penalty that took the game beyond Villa’s reach in second-half stoppage time.
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Hoddle explained why Sunday’s performance would have pleased Thomas Tuchel.
“I’ve seen [Lukaku] come on against West Ham and come on from the bench in other games and played nothing like that,” the 64-year-old said when asked why the Belgian had not been starting. “He didn’t have the energy, didn’t have the movement.
“The manager’s looking at him and thinking ‘you’re not ready, you’re not showing me you’re ready, though he thinks in his mind he’s ready, but go out there and do it on the pitch.
“In the second half, he tried to get on the shoulder, he’s pinning people and wanted the ball every single time and was making runs even when it wasn’t realistic that the ball was going to come.
“He looked eager to show the manager that ‘now I’m ready and he went out and proved it tonight.”
Sunday’s goal was Lukaku’s fourth in the Premier League since returning to Chelsea and his first in the league since netting against the same opponents in September.
The striker will look to add to his tally when the Blues host Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on December 29.
