Dominic Calvert-Lewin takes blame for Luton Town defeat but ‘fully expects’ result v Bournemouth
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has taken some blame for the defeat to Luton Town but “fully expects” a better Everton performance against Bournemouth.
Speaking on the official Everton website (2 October), the striker noted the squad’s disappointment after the 2-1 loss to relegation rivals Luton Town and suggested the side, including himself, were poor in front of goal.
The Toffees welcome the Cherries to Goodison Park on Saturday (7 October) seeking their first home win of the season, while Andoni Iraola’s side sits just one point below.
Calvert-Lewin said: “[We are] frustrated and disappointed, we didn’t turn up how we expected to [against Luton]. We were full of confidence going into the game, but we got punished for switching off at set-pieces and made the game extremely difficult for ourselves to get back into.
“We had chances, but we weren’t clinical enough or ruthless enough in the first half, and we should have been, myself included.
“It is still early in the season, and it is not panic stations; I want to make that clear. We fully expected to put in a better performance [against Luton], and we expected a better result, but it just wasn’t our day.”
Responsibility
The Luton loss was a tough defeat to take. It really took the wind out of Everton’s sails after they were brimming with confidence after two consecutive wins in all competitions for the first time in over a year [Transfermarkt].
However, the Hatters handed Sean Dyche a reality check, but a promising home fixture against Bournemouth is an ideal opponent to try and get more points on the board.
Calvert-Lewin has very little to be sorry for. While the whole side was weak against Luton, especially in front of goal, the Englishman has scored three goals in just 251 minutes of football this season.
His recurring injury issues, most recently a facial injury sustained against Aston Villa in the second game of the season, made many questioned if Dyche could rely on him this season. However, the 26-year-old has staked his claim as the Toffees’ best forward option above new signings Beto and Arnaut Danjuma.
Everton will depend heavily on Calvert-Lewin to continue scoring goals if they want to peel away from the relegation zone. The Toffees have attempted 108 shots this season, the sixth-highest in the league, so the chances are being created, they just need to be converted [Premier League].
In other Everton news,Jack Harrison has made a six-word admission after defeat to Luton.