Lukaku vs Benteke (Video)

Luis Suarez and Robin van Persie will be duelling for this season’s golden boot in the Premier League but there are two young Belgian strikers really making their mark in the English game.

Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke and Romelu Lukaku on loan at West Brom from Chelsea for the season are showing they are more than capable at finding the back of the net but who is the better Belgian striker?

Christian Benteke arrived at Villa Park this summer as the most expensive arrival for new manager Paul Lambert, costing £7 million from Belgian side Sporting Genk, and has quickly become first choice striker in front of experienced England international Darren Bent who Villa paid £24 million for.

Before moving to England, Benteke had only ever played in his native Belgium but for a whole host of clubs. Benteke made his debut in the 2007/08 season for Sporting Genk, moving to Standard Liege for the 2008/09 season then loaned out to KV Kortrijk for 09/10 and to KV Mechelen for 10/11, 4 games in to the 2011/12 season Benteke returned to Sporting Genk and made the move to Aston Villa before the start of this season.

Benteke’s move to Villa has so far proved a successful one with 7 goals coming in 19 league games in one of the most inexperienced squads in the league.

For the Belgian national side the 22 year-old has won 9 caps and scored 4 goals for a side that is brimming with emerging world class talent, plenty of which is currently playing in the Premier League.

Benteke offers Aston Villa a huge target to aim for when their defence is under the pump and his aerial ability provides a link with supporting midfield players to feed off the Belgian’s flick ons and lay-offs.

There is no doubt that Benteke can play a big part in keeping Villa in the English top flight, but for me he is the second best Belgian striker in the league, to West Brom’s Lukaku.

19-year-old Lukaku is spending the season on loan at Villa’s midlands rivals West Brom and has been one of the main culprit’s for the impressive season Steve Clark’s side are enjoying so far. After spending 4 seasons with Belgian side Anderlecht, during which time he picked up the 2009/10 Golden Boot, the Belgian League title for the same year and the Belgian Ebony Shoe for 2011 (the award for the best player of African descent playing in Belgium), Lukaku made an £18 million move to Chelsea.

Lukaku came with the label of ‘The New Drogba’ but in his 8 league games for Chelsea he failed to make a real impression and fell out of favour of both Andre Villas-Boas and then Roberto Di Matteo.

So far in his loan spell with West Brom, Lukaku has scored 9 goals in 21 games and the Belgian has scored he is a deadly striker when he starts the game having scored 7 goals in 8 league starts for The Baggies. Lukaku’s form this season is finally showing the potential he showed in youth football where he scored a combined 252 goals in 161 games for Lierse SK and Anderlecht.

Lukaku offers similar target man attributes to compatriot Benteke as well as drawing similarities to Didier Drogba with strength, finishing and willingness to shoot from distance.

Sam Jewell

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