Three things we learnt from Everton’s 3-0 demolition of Sunderland

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Keeping Romelu Lukaku was worthwhile for Everton

As the forward was still yet to get off the mark this season, the pessimistic element of the Everton fanbase feared that their star man was unsettled following Chelsea’s attempts to lure him to Stamford Bridge this summer, but he proved them wrong with a superb display which saw him take home the match ball.

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Lukaku had little service in the first half, but was clinical in the second. The 23-year-old was dominant in the air for the first and second goals and then showed his skill with the ball at his feet to wrap off a hat-trick with a superb finish to put the tie to bed as he completed an 11 minute triple to make it one of the quickest hat-tricks in Premier League history.

It could have been more, with one effort rebounding off the crossbar and an impressive nine shots on goal meaning that Lukaku really showed himself to be the focal point of the Toffee’s attack. Given that the Blues rejected approaches from Chelsea for the Belgian, it seems that it was worth turning down the huge sums of money on offer to retain their man. The only concern for Everton fans will be his fitness as he hobbled off in the final minutes of the game, though there didn’t appear to be any sign of a serious injury.