When Romelu Lukaku moved to Manchester United last summer, the predominant criticism attached to his hefty transfer fee was an underwhelming scoring record against top Premier League clubs, consequentially questioning his capacity to influence big games.

Scoring goals past high calibre opponents has been an issue this season too; so far in his United career, Chelsea are the only Big Six club the Belgium international has netted against from a total of ten appearances.

But in some ways that’s an incredibly simplistic view – the idea that strikers need to score to have an impact – and Jose Mourinho has often insisted that Lukaku’s contributions to the team are far more important than his individual tally.

Against Tottenham in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final, Mourinho will feel that point of view was indicated. While Lukaku failed to find the net himself, he continuously created problems for Tottenham’s centre-halves by winning the most aerial duels of any player on the pitch, completing two dribbles and creating two chances.

That gave United a key foothold in the final third and brought their midfield into the game much further up the pitch. Tellingly, it was Lukaku who pressed with Paul Pogba when the Frenchman dispossessed Mousa Dembele before setting up Alexis Sanchez with a perfectly weighted cross, and it was Lukaku who assisted Ander Herrera’s winner, his inadvertent touch rolling into the onrushing Spaniard’s path.

In many ways, that sums up the progress Lukaku – who Transfermarkt value at £76.5million – has made during his first season at Old Trafford. While he has proved no more or no less an effective goalscorer than we thought when he joined United – although this is already the best season of his career in terms of finding the net – Mourinho has added a real sense of team-work and collectiveness to Lukaku’s game. Even when he’s not scoring, he’s creating problems for team-mates to take advantage of.

Of course, many will argue that’s the key problem with team-mate Pogba; he’s still a surprisingly raw, inconsistent and individualistic talent for a 25-year-old midfielder who has plied his trade with two of Europe’s biggest clubs.

But whereas Mourinho has struggled to fine tune the former Juventus star and modify his game around the needs of the team, Lukaku appears to have embraced the way in which the Portuguese has made him just one cog within a functioning side.

In contrast to his modest return for goals, Saturday’s assist was Lukaku’s fourth against Big Six opposition this season.

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