Football
ESPN staff 9y

Romelu Lukaku, Everton Premier League Rank, No. 47

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Beginning May 25, ESPN FC is counting down the top 50 players in the Premier League right now, as voted for by various columnists, editors and analysts. Who makes the cut? Disagree with our list? Tell us on Twitter using the hashtag #PremRank.

Why Romelu Lukaku makes the list

It wasn't his best season, but that shouldn't negate the fact that Lukaku remains one of the best young players on the continent. In some ways, he was a victim of the success of 2013-14, and his struggles effectively personify Everton's season.

Signed for the club's record fee of £28 million after hitting 15 goals in 31 games last season, it was always going to be impossible for Lukaku to maintain that form, especially since he remained the only real main striker in a squad that suddenly had a huge increase in its number of fixtures with the Europa League but didn't have the number of players to match.

The fact that his scoring record dropped from one-in-two to less than one-in-three should not be much of a surprise, and is also the exact kind of inconsistency that 21-year-old footballers are prone to experience. Few maintain a prime player's consistency at that age; fewer still carry the burden that Lukaku does. He has the physique to carry it, and there were still more than a few flashes of his brilliance -- not least a perfect hat trick against Young Boys in the Europa League. -- Miguel Delaney

The stats that tell the story

- Lukaku has 42 league goals in the last three seasons. Only Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez and Robin van Persie have more.
- His 41 Premier League goals are tied with Christian Benteke for most ever by a Belgian player.

What the experts say

"A two-season return of 36 goals in 80 matches will attract envious glances from a number of established strikers, never mind those of a similar standing to a still-learning and developing Lukaku, who only turned 22 earlier this week." -- Luke O'Farrell, May 2015.

"Thankfully, then, with sharpened knives at the ready, Lukaku did his latest talking on the pitch, etching his name in the club's record books with a 'perfect' hat-trick -- header, right foot, left foot -- to join Alan Ball, Andy Gray and Yakubu as Everton players with a European treble to their name." -- Luke O'Farrell, February 2015.


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