"Very strong, very smart" - Emerson Royal offers glowing assessment of rival Chelsea star

Tottenham Hotspur full-back Emerson Royal has revealed that he is impressed with Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku in the Premier League.

In a recent interview with the Brazilian YouTube channel Camisa 21, the Brazilian was asked about life at Spurs, having joined the side from La Liga's Real Betis in the summer. Emerson answered questions about working with Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte, and also the toughest opponent he has come across so far. He said:

“I think Chelsea. We played against Chelsea here, their coach is very smart too."

However, when quizzed about which player he was most impressed with, Royal heaped praise on Lukaku, who made a sensational return to the Premier League in the summer. Emerson said:

“Lukaku, my God. Very strong, very strong, very smart.”

After two highly-successful years with Inter Milan in Serie A, Lukaku returned to Stamford Bridge for a club-record fee of £97.5 million. The two players came up against each other when Spurs played Chelsea in September. Although the visitors cruised to a 3-0 victory, Lukaku didn't score.

However, the London rivals are scheduled to play thrice next month, including twice in a two-legged EFL Cup semi-final. Royal will be hoping for more success against the Blues in those games.

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Lukaku's fairytale Chelsea return is turning into a nightmare

Lukaku marked his homecoming with a bang, scoring on his second club debut in a 2-0 win over Arsenal before netting two more in the game to Aston Villa.

However, since then, Lukaku has been drawing blanks. An ankle injury in late October kept him on the sidelines for a few weeks although Lukaku offered no great shakes upon his return.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has insisted he won't rush the player when he's back, as the 28-year-old was pictured in training recently with a return to action fast approaching.

With the 2021-22 season now at the halfway mark, the pressure is on Lukaku to make up for lost time and prove his value to the side.