As is often the case on Monday Night Football, the pre and post-game show was far more entertaining than the game itself. Tony Pulis lost a tenth straight game at the Emirates in customarily meek fashion, as Arsenal dawdled their way to a 2-0 win.
By contrast, the ever-excellent Jamie Carragher was typically insightful and entertaining, particularly in his advice to Simon Mignolet on how to deal with Shinji Okazaki tugging on his arm from corners.
Later in the show, the top strikers in the league underwent the critical gaze of Carragher and Thierry Henry. With a host of striking talent in the Premier League at the moment, Henry deemed just Aguero as world class.
The only one who is world-class, or has been world-class, is Aguero because of the longevity of what he has done in this league, year in and year out.
He won the league here and he has been doing it the longest. You have to give him a bit of credit. I think sometimes we bypass Aguero like he didn’t happen. Lukaku has just arrived at Manchester United, he hasn’t played long in the Champions League.
For Harry Kane, last season was short in the Champions League. It was short in the Europa League and the Euros.
Morata was often off the bench at Madrid. He had a good year at Juve but he was playing with Llorente or Tevez.They will get there and we should be happy to have these players in our league.
Carragher was full of praise for Lukaku, although did clarify a common error in the media portrayal of Lukaku: namely that he's similar to Didier Drogba.
Sometimes the way we speak about Lukaku is different to how we speak about Kane or Aguero.
Sometimes people want a bit more from Lukaku. Because he came through at Chelsea and was a huge presence people thought he was going to replace Drogba but he’s not like Drogba.
Drogba could be Man of the Match in a game he didn’t score in, he could dominate a whole back four by running channels and overpowering people.
Lukaku is more like Ruud van Nistelrooy or Andy Cole. For me his goalscoring record is phenomenal and will continue to be at Manchester United.
The criticisms have to stop. His numbers are so good. He’s like Van Nistelrooy, he’s not Drogba. Just because he has the same physical attributes as him doesn’t mean he has to play like him.
Lukaku himself has rejected the Drogba comparisons in the past. Upon signing for United, Lukaku was asked by reporters if he could emulate Drogba:
Not really. I'm different.
Drogba is more of a hold-up player, a target man. I prefer to have ball to feet and run in behind. We're totally different. We might have physical similarities but we're totally different players. I'm Romelu Lukaku, I want to create my own history. I'm at United, he was at Chelsea.
