Darren Bent shares verdict on Dominic Calvert-Lewin ‘battle’ at Everton
Darren Bent has claimed that Everton will battle with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s fitness to make the difference in keeping them up this season.
The former Premier League striker suggested that the main concern with the striker is whether he will stay fit, rather than whether he will score goals consistently.
Bent feels that Calvert-Lewin brings more to Sean Dyche’s team, with his physical presence up front providing an extra element on top of his goalscoring prowess.
Speaking live on talkSPORT [2 November, 16:52], Bent shared: “I think he [Dyche] is getting a performance out of them because, at the start of the season, they weren’t winning anything.
“Fair play, he’s turned it around, they’ve got a particular brand of football that’s effective.
“Having Calvert-Lewin, knowing that he’s fit, gives you an opportunity as well. Because now you know you’ve got someone up there who can genuinely score goals. A big physical presence.
“But their battle with him is different because it’s not about whether he’ll score goals, it’s about whether he can stay fit. Now if he can stay fit for a full season, I think Everton will be fine.”
The difference-maker
Calvert-Lewin has already shown this season the difference he can make to this Everton side when he is fully fit. His four goals from eight appearances so far this season have provided the Toffees with a much-needed injection of quality.
His presence, not just physically but as somebody that the team knows will score goals when given the opportunity, has been a game-changer since his return from injury, and fingers all over Merseyside will be crossed that he can stay fit.
Dyche has played a key role in Calvert-Lewin’s form, with his style of play and patience around his recovery allowing him to become fully fit rather than rushing him back into the side and risking further injury.
As Bent claims, if the striker can keep at full fitness for the entire season, he alone will provide Everton with enough to save them from another threat of relegation.
In other Everton news, Kieran Maguire shared a new verdict on the 777 takeover.