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Dominic Calvert-Lewin return could make the difference for Everton after positive displays
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s recent displays on his full return from injury have shown he could be the difference between relegation and survival at Everton this season.
Sean Dyche’s side had been struggling for goals this season, scoring just two in their opening five games, but five in their last two, including two from Calvert-Lewin, could be a display of changing tides at Goodison Park.
While Beto was signed from Udinese for around £21.6million [Transfermarkt], it is Calvert-Lewin who has stepped up to the plate, although healthy competition will be a boost to both strikers’ displays.
The arrival of his Portuguese counterpart may also play a part in the English striker taking steps to further his displays at Goodison Park, with the added pressure of a new arrival meaning he will need to be at his best week in week out.
This season, Calvert-Lewin has already matched his goalscoring tally of the previous year with two goals scored in his last two games in all competitions, both against Brentford and Aston Villa.
Those two goals came in a combined 161 minutes of football [Transfermarkt], in a huge step up for the striker who will now look to push for further goals and keep up his current goals-to-game ratio that has seen his return from injury start so brightly.
Goals were the primary issue at Goodison Park last season, scoring the second-least in the league with just 34 goals in their 38 games, and if Calvert-Lewin can get firing once more it would make an almighty difference to the problem this side has been struggling with.
It wasn’t just the goal that saw Calvert-Lewin impress against Villa, though. His confidence in himself, and a clear chip on his shoulder and desire to prove doubters wrong, saw him have three shots on target, make a key pass [Sofascore] and engage in a continuous battle with his defender.
His willingness to get involved and desire to get back to his best will see him take strides towards showing he can reach, or even better the levels he has previously shown at Everton.
Over the summer, the England international striker detailed his efforts to return from injury strongly via Everton’s YouTube channel [12 July]. He claimed: “I’ve worked pretty much all the way through the off-season.
“I tried to have a little rest, but for the most part, I just wanted to be running around and back on the grass. For me, it’s about getting back to a level I know I’m capable of getting to on a consistent basis.”
He is now showing he has every chance to get back to that level as consistently as he would have hoped, and could be the key difference-maker for the Toffees this season.
In other Everton news, three players have been ruled out for the next game.