Everton manager Roberto Martinez has claimed that striker Romelu Lukaku is back to his best after his side's 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City.
Lukaku joined the club on a permanent deal in the summer, for £28m from Chelsea, but he has been criticised for a number of his performances so far this season.
However, Martinez has said that the Belgian is back to peak condition after a busy year, despite missing a golden opportunity in the game.
"Romelu is a player who needs to be at his physical best because of the power and pace in the game. He can't contribute by just being half-fit and after the World Cup he wanted to make himself available even when he wasn't fully 100% fit," he told reporters.
"Now he feels strong and can work for the 90 minutes. He proved in the races with Mangala and Martin Demichellis that he is strong. He would score in that position against Joe Hart nine times out of 10 but on this one the goalkeeper made a very good save.
"Romelu was full of character and responsibility. He looked back to his very best".
Everton are back in action when they face West Ham United in their midweek FA Cup third-round replay.
Charlie Bennett
