Shearer gives confident verdict on Lukaku, Havertz battle, with Chelsea star’s costly trait the difference

Alan Shearer has said that Kai Havertz looks the better fit up front for Chelsea instead of Romelu Lukaku, amid the battle between the pair.

Havertz and Lukaku arrived at Stamford Bridge in successive years under different managers. While the former was a Frank Lampard signing in 2020, Lukaku arrived for a club-record £97.5million last summer. And both players are now battling for the spot up top in Thomas Tuchel’s team.

Hopes were high for Lukaku, who signed with the premise of proving wrong Chelsea‘s decision to let him become a deadly goalscorer elsewhere. However, the Belgium international has struggled to fit in – openly admitting in December that Tuchel’s tactics are failing him.

As a result, Germany star Havertz has emerged as a more fluid player up top, capable of playing a range of positions.

And he has become the dominant force for Chelsea in the Premier League. Lukaku, meanwhile, has starred in the FA Cup and scored in the Blues’ quarter-final win over Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Speaking on BBC Sport‘s coverage of the match [19/03, 19:11], former Premier League striker Shearer cast doubts over Lukaku.

“I said it before the game, I’m not sure the system Chelsea want to play actually suits him,” Shearer said. “Yes, the way he played in [Inter] Milan he had someone up alongside him.

“His style of play, he definitely prefers that and he needs balls into the box without a doubt.

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“I said before the game, the two full-backs were missing. I don’t think it’s the right game to judge him on this season, I look in a few of the games and it doesn’t look like a comfortable situation for him in that team.”

Shearer added that Havertz looks the better fit for Chelsea. The 22-year-old has scored 11 goals this season, including six in the Premier League.

“They were impressive tonight, but they do look a better team at times when Havertz is in there and when he’s got the freedom to move around and go anywhere,” the pundit said.

“Sometimes I feel Lukaku is a little bit reluctant to make those runs.”

Havertz winning Lukaku, Chelsea battle

Havertz has nailed down the role up top under Tuchel in Chelsea’s Premier League campaign.

And he is in sensational form in the top flight. He has scored four of his six goals in the last four matches. He has also notched an assist in that time.

Lukaku is only one behind Havertz’s Premier League tally.

However, the 28-year-old has made his name in the FA Cup. He has now netted in three of Chelsea’s four games on their way to the semi-finals.

Even if his goals help Chelsea win the FA Cup, Lukaku’s biggest desire will likely be to stamp his mark on the club’s Premier League progress.