Lukaku: I don´t need to prove myself to Chelsea

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku felt he had nothing to prove to Chelsea after a late brace dumped his former club out of the FA Cup.

The Belgium international striker had failed to net in four previous matches against the Stamford Bridge outfit, but brought Goodison Park to its feet twice in the space five minutes.

Lukaku’s 77th-minute opener was simply stunning – Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill standing out as the defender most bamboozled by a brilliant dribble and finish.

He sprung a ragged offside trap to put the tie beyond doubt, compounding a wretched week for Guus Hiddink’s men after their Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

“It feels great, I am just happy for the team and to do something we wanted. Now we have 90 minutes to go and we delivered a good performance after the loss against West Ham,” Lukaku told BBC Sport following an ill-tempered conclusion where Chelsea striker Diego Costa and Everton midfielder Gareth Barry were sent off in quick succession having feuded for much of the game. 

“I think the first goal is the best thing, I didn’t know where I was going, but then I was in the box. I saw Gary Cahill not know where he was going so I shifted it onto my left foot.

“It was just another goal and happy for the team. If you wan to win cups, you have to beat the big teams.

“I don’t think I have anything to prove to Chelsea. I went there as an 18-year-old and learnt the trade of being a professional footballer. I will always be grateful to them.”