The goal map of Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the Premier League this season is quite striking, as all seven of his goals appear in a nearly straight line.
In a time when many strikers are expected to be versatile players, the 28-year-old is excelling as a classic “poacher” under Daniel Farke’s management.
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Calvert-Lewin’s current form and goal distribution are reminiscent of his most successful season, where he scored 16 league goals for Everton under Carlo Ancelotti during the 2020-21 campaign.
He has spoken highly of his experiences with the Italian manager, stating, “The first thing he said to me was ‘stay in between the 18-yard box’,” during an interview on the High Performance podcast last June.
He added, “This was completely different from what I had been doing. When you’re younger, you feel the need to cover every inch of the pitch to improve on the less glamorous parts of the game.”
Calvert-Lewin recalled Ancelotti’s straightforward advice: “He told me ‘I don’t want you running out there because you won’t score goals there’—that was the only specific guidance he provided.”
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“I found it fantastic, as it allowed me to concentrate on scoring rather than chasing the ball around the pitch.”
After managing just one goal in his first 10 Premier League matches with Leeds, Calvert-Lewin has rebounded impressively, netting six goals in his last five appearances and showing no signs of slowing down.
The former England international might just be enjoying a rich vein of form, or perhaps Farke is now leveraging his strengths in a manner similar to Ancelotti five years ago.