The new premier league season is already starting to take shape. The last season’s champions are showing signs of vulnerability, while their city rivals are blooming like they never have in a while. While Everton are milking their moment under the limelight, the person that has stepped up to deliver during this crucial time is the recently capped England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin, a player who no one favored to win the golden boot at the start of the season. After having scored a meager 24 goals in 114 games in the premier league, the player is already leading the goalscoring charts with 7 goals in 5 games, so why can’t Calvert-Lewin stop scoring goals? And why hasn’t he always been so prolific? To find out, we must dive into the history.
Why can’t Calvert-Lewin stop scoring goals?
The pre-Ancelotti era –
After years of competing at the highest level, the 9-time league winners have not been the same for decades now, and the sacking of managers has not done any favors either. After the sacking of the less reputed Marco Silva, they Merseyside club were about to go on another downward spiral until the arrival of the 3-time Champions League-winning manager Carlo Ancelotti who eradicated even the slightest possibility of something like that happening.
The Italian job –
The Italian’s arrival provided a reason to be cheerful, given his managerial credentials. The former AC Milan manager has carved a reputation for getting the best out of his players. His objective at Everton has not been any different. It is hard to name every player that has benefited under the former premier league winning manager, but it is arguably Calvert- Lewin who has benefited the most. So, why can’t Calvert- Lewin stop scoring goals, and what is the reason for such a metamorphosis?
The Captain header –
Calvert-Lewin leads the way in the goalscoring charts this season. The 3-time capped England international has shown signs of a promising striker as a result. While his poacher’s instinct has received great praise, it is his heading ability that has received the most attention. With 4 of his 7 league goals coming in the form of headers, the player has been aerially dominant while also displaying similar efficiency on the ground. This transition is purely logical rather than the temporary form of a player.
The always “Dominant” Calvert-Lewin –
The emergence of the striker has surprised a lot of fans, but not the coaching staff who always knew that he possessed the talent to thrive. The former u-20 world cup winner managed 13 league goals last season, with most of it coming after the arrival of the new manager. The goal scoring form was a result of a few tweaks and increased goal scoring opportunities.
The tweaks-
Everton attack in a 4-3-3 formation, but they shift to a 4-4-2 formation while defending. In the 4-4-2 formation, the players spearheading the front-two are Richarlison and Calvert- Lewin, who press forward to force mistakes from the opposition. When the Brazilian moves forward to press, Calvert-Lewin gets to move to a central role to receive the ball, and this leads to a potential goalscoring opportunity. The arrivals of Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure, and James Rodriguez have reduced the usual need for him to drop deep. The increased goalscoring opportunities created due to the excellence of the Colombian James Rodriguez has further helped the cause as well.
Efficiency at it’s best –
Although the chances created are plenty, Calvert- Lewin has shown enormous efficiency with his impressive finishing ability. Statistically speaking, he has got 12 out of his 20 shots on target while Harry Kane, a proven premier league goal scorer, has only managed to get 13 out of his 25 shots on target this season, despite having one of his finest seasons as a player. Calvert-Lewin’s strikes have resulted in 7 league goals and 3 more goals scored in other competitions, and this takes his tally into double figures despite only having played 7 games in all competitions so far.
The final say –
The advent of the new manager has changed the functioning of the club and how the players are played. Ancelotti’s tactical versatility and flexibility has turned the turned Calvert-Lewin into a prolific goalscorer. In short, the shift from a deeper role to a more offensive role has helped the player exploit his incredible heading capabilities and his previously underrated finishing, and this explains why Calvert- Lewin can’t stop scoring goals.
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