Flying high: Why Calvert-Lewin is so effective for Leeds United and might earn an England call

For Dominic Calvert-Lewin, this week might end up as one of the more memorable of his career.

The Leeds United striker made a strong start to it, scoring his eighth goal in 19 appearances against one of his favourite opponents, Newcastle United, on Monday night. The tally may even go up, with the club appealing for Jayden Bogle’s contentious header to be awarded to their No 9 after the 4-1 win.

No club has seen Calvert-Lewin score more against them than Newcastle. But that might change on Sunday. Crystal Palace, second only to Newcastle for Calvert-Lewin goals against, will travel to Elland Road mindful of his seven-strike tally growing further, with the 29-year-old already the first United player since Mark Viduka in 2003 to score in five consecutive home Premier League games.

Before that, though, there is also the small matter of a potential England recall, with Thomas Tuchel announcing his squad on Friday.

The Palace match could therefore be framed either as a celebration of an England place or a riposte to being snubbed. Either way, Calvert-Lewin is surely giving Tuchel a tough decision.

Leeds put in an outstanding team performance in their 4-1 levelling of Newcastle. Everyone played their part, but Calvert-Lewin, naturally at the sharp end, gets the most attention.

He bullied Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman in the away defence. His movement, strength, touch, jumping and passing were first-rate. His heading and finishing are almost taken for granted now.

Calvert-Lewin has three goals (a successful appeal will make it four) in four outings coming into the England selection. In March, Tuchel gave him his first cap in nearly five years, but then overlooked him for Ivan Toney in his final squad for the World Cup.

Evidently, playing in the Saudi Pro League, as Toney does, along with new recruit Ollie Watkins, is no barrier to selection. However, the Leeds man’s continued form at the highest level must stand him in good stead.

Daniel Farke, who will understandably have a biased view as his club manager, puts his No 9 among the best strikers in the world when he is at his top level. In Monday night’s press conference, he was asked if Calvert-Lewin was unplayable.

“Dominic is a crucial player and if he shows this type of form, he’s one of the best strikers in this league, and it’s the best league in the world,” he said. “You can then sum up what I think about him as a player.”

The centre-forward’s renaissance at Leeds has been marked. His 16 league goals have come in 39 appearances. His previous 16 for Everton came in 91 outings.

It comes from a position of good fitness, regular minutes and confidence in his body. As the chart below shows, this season is a small sample size, but last term’s availability was by far his best for five years.

When Leeds first recruited Calvert-Lewin as a free agent, the only gamble the hierarchy felt it was taking was with his fitness. They had absolute confidence in his ability on the field; it was simply a case of keeping him on it.

If the club’s medical and performance department, led by Henry McStay and Chris Domogalla, can maintain this ratio of minutes, the evidence suggests Calvert-Lewin will keep scoring the goals which keep Leeds competitive.

And Farke feels the best may still yet be to come from the 29-year-old. On the eve of the new campaign, he was reminded in a press conference of comments he had previously made about Robert Lewandowski improving into his thirties, and whether that applied to Calvert-Lewin.

“Harry Kane, the same,” he said. “He started to score goals at 24, 25. Before, not that much. We had the example of Patrick Bamford, also.

“It’s very often for a striker and it’s very, very rare at 19, 20 years old, he scores goals. Erling Haaland, but this is a bit due to him starting in not the best league in the world, on senior level.

“If you have to start at Bundesliga or Premier League level, it lasts a little bit until you find your rhythm against proper defenders. Dominic has done this in his mid-twenties.

“He had a goal record at Everton before two or three difficult years, but right now, hopefully he comes into his prime, and he can deliver further on. If he does this, he will be a topic for the national team and the next tournament, but it’s all about performance, all about consistency.”

If Leeds can keep creating chances for him, the goals should follow. You can see where Calvert-Lewin comes alive in the graphic below.

He is incredibly effective between the width of the posts; the tap-ins, powerful headers and even finishes off his chest, have become a staple of his game, but Monday’s goal, which he made for himself, was especially impressive.

The intuition and awareness for where the pass needed to be played by Tarik Muharemovic, before the acceleration, the run, the strength, the turn and the finish, made for a wonderful goal. He has brought so much more than his finishing ability, though.

As a by-product of the supreme physical shape he is in, Calvert-Lewin’s work off the ball, as Leeds play more and more aggressively, pressing high, has been fundamental. Since the start of last season, no player has applied more pressures (3,605) or high pressures (2,613).

The above graphic illustrates the centre-forward’s importance as an out ball, too. With goalkeeper James Trafford able to play those long, accurate passes upfield, Calvert-Lewin is a crucial pivot point in the centre circle, from which United can play off.

Calvert-Lewin’s combative physicality is further underlined by the fact that nobody in the league has contested more aerial duels (353) than him since the start of last season.

It’s been a great start to the week for Leeds United’s No 9 and it could get a lot better by the time it’s over.