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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Everton’s win over Chelsea in the Premier League
Everton travel to Manchester United on Super Sunday with an attack set to be spearheaded by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, fresh from a first Premier League double last weekend against Chelsea.
Those match-winning goals took his tally to five in his last 10 appearances, his best run of form at this level. He will want to improve that ratio further still but, importantly for his club, it suggests he’s finding a more clinical edge to accompany his other strengths.
Man Utd vs Everton
December 15, 2019, 1:00pm
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Few Premier League strikers possess the same combination of pace and aerial ability as Calvert-Lewin, or at least to a similar extent.
His top speed is fastest at his club this season, and one of the fastest among all Premier League forwards, while only West Ham’s Sebastien Haller wins more in the air.
As the chart below shows, no player with anywhere close to Calvert-Lewin’s top speed is as effective in the air:
These attributes clearly pose questions to a defence in various ways. He has the pace to exploit high lines and the physicality to battle against deeper defensive blocks.
While he was unable to consistently find the net last season, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison, in particular, benefitted from his ability to test various setups.
His inclusion enables Everton to attack in different ways but, at times, that can limit Calvert-Lewin’s ability to benefit from it. His heatmap suggests he already spends more time out wide than one might expect of a striker. The fact team-mate Theo Walcott has as many touches in the box this season, despite playing far fewer minutes, is also surprising.
As a forward, regardless of however else he contributes, Calvert-Lewin will always be judged upon his scoring return. His side have struggled to win games this season and, as limited as his supply has often been, he must share blame for that, having led the line at various stages.
Encouragingly for Everton, though, his recent strikes suggest he’s making progress in this department. Boosted by that double against Chelsea, Calvert-Lewin is now converting twice as many chances as in any previous campaign – scoring with every four shots as opposed to every eight last season.
His six shots against Chelsea also ranked as a career-high in a Premier League game.
Aside from simply finding the net more often, some of the more advanced metrics further emphasise his recent improvement.
Opta’s Expected Goals model highlights how he’s been able to get on the end of far better opportunities more often, doubling his previous best ratio so far this season. It also has three of the four best returns of his 92-game Premier League career coming in his last six starts.
Against Chelsea, Calvert-Lewin was a factor in both the build-up and finishing of Everton’s goals. He was able to combine his considerably rounded game with what is most important for his position and general standing – a ruthlessness in front of goal.
If he can continue being more of a factor in and around the box, while causing the problems his unique blend of pace and aerial abilities bring, Everton may already have their long-term answer up front.
Sourse: skysports.com
