Thomas Tuchel Finally Responds To Romelu Lukaku Vs Virgil Van Dijk Battle

Lukaku put in a Man Of The Match performance against Arsenal last weekend, scoring on his second debut for the Blues.

However, ahead of the Sunday clash with Liverpool, Van Dijk and Matip are a much tougher test for the Belgian than Holding and Mari.

Now, Blues boss has had his say on the contest come Sunday;

“That’s the reality and we should not hide from it. Liverpool with Van Dijk is a different Liverpool than without Van Dijk,” Thomas Tuchel said at a press conference, as quoted by Chelsea’s official website.

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“It’s not only his isolated capacity and level of performance but also that he makes everyone around him feel more comfortable and be stronger.

“Together with Matip, it is a huge upgrade to last March, and spectators back at Anfield can be a big factor as well.

“I’m looking forward to it and I think many fans of football are looking forward to that battle,” Tuchel said when asked about Van Dijk facing Lukaku.

“It’s not only Van Dijk against Lukaku, it will be Liverpool against Chelsea, but of course for Romelu it’s a big challenge.

“He had now one match with us which was pretty impressive and a very good start so from now on we are into details, to adapting and to connecting better and better.

“He loves these kinds of games and that’s why I expect the best that we can see from him right now.”

According to Jamie Carragher, though, VVD is among very few defenders in the world who would ‘fancy his chances’ against Lukaku.