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Stewart Robson questions Ademola Lookman’s impact after Atletico Madrid defeat
Former Arsenal and West Ham midfielder Stewart Robson criticised Ademola Lookman’s performance after Atletico Madrid suffered a 3-0 defeat by Athletic Club in La Liga.
Lookman started Saturday’s match at San Mames but struggled to influence the contest and was withdrawn in the 58th minute. Atletico manager Diego Simeone made four changes after his side endured a disastrous opening to the second half, with Lookman replaced by Arnau Ortiz.
Athletic Club took control of the match shortly after the restart, scoring twice in the space of three minutes. Nico Williams opened the scoring before Robert Navarro added a second, while Oihan Sancet completed the victory with a goal in the 90th minute.
The result brought Atletico Madrid’s first defeat of the La Liga season, while Athletic Club maintained their impressive beginning under former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic.
Robson questions Atletico’s attacking display
Speaking on ESPN’s analysis of the game, Robson said Atletico lacked the individual quality and attacking combinations required to break down Athletic Club.
The 61-year-old focused particularly on Lookman’s position on the left side, arguing that the Nigeria international became isolated during a match in which Atletico struggled to build a consistent threat.
Lookman’s display was a contrast to his performance one week earlier, when he played a key role in Atletico’s 3-1 win over Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. The forward scored his first goal of the season in that victory, having failed to find the net in Atletico’s opening matches against Malaga and Villarreal.
However, he was unable to reproduce that attacking influence in Bilbao. Atletico had 62% possession and registered 15 attempts, but Simeone’s team still found it difficult to create clear-cut opportunities against a well-organised Athletic Club side.
Robson’s criticism comes as Lookman attempts to establish himself as an important attacking option for Atletico following his promising performance against Sevilla. His quiet showing at San Mames left the visitors unable to provide an effective response after Athletic Club scored twice early in the second half.
The defeat means Atletico must quickly recover, with their next fixture bringing a major European test. Los Colchoneros will begin their UEFA Champions League campaign against Liverpool on Wednesday at Anfield.
Lookman’s ability to respond will be closely watched after his limited contribution in Bilbao, particularly following the attacking improvement he showed in the previous league match.
