View: Calvert-Lewin struggles v West Ham but fitness is not the issue
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has now gone six games without a goal for Everton in all competitions – but fitness is not the issue with the striker’s form.
Watching his performance against West Ham on Friday night, some might be tempted to question the striker’s fitness or perhaps, think that he is looking a little jaded.
The reality is that the striker is simply not getting the same level of service in recent weeks and he remains stuck on 11 Premier League goals for the season.
Statistically, Calvert-Lewin was one of Everton’s worst performers on the night against West Ham as the Toffees suffered a suprise defeat at home.
As per WhoScored’s average match ratings, he was given a lowly 6.4 – but when you look deeper into Everton’s numbers, a bigger picture emerges.
Below we see Everton’s average positions against West Ham and there was a worrying lack of width in the Toffees team.
Calvert-Lewin has thrived both from balls into the box this season and having speed around him in wide areas and that was seriously lacking against the Hammers.
Somewhat stifled by the lack of options around him, Calvert-Lewin only touched the ball 31 times – the fewest of any Everton player on the pitch.
With Everton so congested in the middle of the park, there was simply no room for creativity.
Everton played just seven key passes on the night, with three of those coming from Seamus Coleman and Mason Holgate.
Under normal circumstances, Everton would pride themselves on attacking full-backs and support from deep, but they are serisouly missing that attacking intent from their defenders.
The fact that he might be a little jaded has been an easy stick to beat Calvert-Lewin with in recent weeks, but Ancelotti has since confirmed that he has no plans to rest the striker after the game against Manchester City was postponed.
If Everton want to get their star striker scoring again then they need to be supplying him with more high-quality chances or they risk his current goal drought continuing at an alarming rate.
The return of Richarilson should go some way to solving that and also Alex Iwobi, who was missing at Goodison Park against West Ham.
The former Arsenal winger is currently one of the top creators in the Premier League and Calvert-Lewin will be looking forward to starting alongside the pair once again in the very near future.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are reportedly ready to make a move for Max Aarons this month