Leeds player officially worst in Premier League at what he does, it’s why relegation could loom
Daniel Farke was set one pretty simply goal for Leeds United upon returning to the Premier League this season.
That is to keep Leeds in the division at any cost.
The Whites have made a pretty mixed start across their opening eight games, having collected eight points so far.
That point-a-game average should be enough to keep United in the Premier League, which will very much mean job done for Farke.
However, Leeds’ 2-0 loss to Burnley at the weekend was rather alarming and makes it just one point collected from the past nine on offer.
Leeds are very much in a Premier League relegation battle, with one area in particular in need of addressing.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin bottom of pile in alarming statistical reveal
Leeds have scored a rather poor seven goals across their first eight matches, which is the joint-fourth worst return in the division.
Newcastle United also have only seven goals to their name, while West Ham have six and both Nottingham Forest and Wolves have five apiece.
| Team | Goals for | League position |
| Wolves | 5 | 20 |
| Nottingham Forest | 5 | 18 |
| West Ham | 6 | 19 |
| Leeds | 7 | 15 |
| Newcastle | 7 | 13 |
Unsurprisingly, the three lowest-scoring teams in the Premier League occupy the bottom three places in the actual table.
Leeds’ seven goals so far have been sored by six different players, with Noah Okafor the only player with more than one to his name.
Lukas Nmecha, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach, Joe Rodon and Sean Longstaff are the other goalscorers.
Worryingly, the Burnley loss was the fourth game out of eight this season Leeds have failed to score in. Farke’s side generated an xG (expected goals) value of 2.63 at Turf Moor yet failed to net.
That is a familiar theme. Calvert-Lewin led the line for Leeds in Lancashire, as he has done in five games this season, his other appearance coming as a substitute.
And the data makes for worrying reading. Since the start of the 2023-24 Premier League season, Calvert-Lewin is officially the worst player in the division in terms of xG performance.
Calvert-Lewin has underperformed his xG by 10.4, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson next on that list with 7, followed by Beto (6.2), Darwin Nunez (6.1) and Keane Lewis-Potter (5.5).
This means Calvert-Lewin – an Everton player for the majority of this timeframe – should have scored 10 goals more than he actually has since the start of last season.
- Calvert-Lewin has underperformed his xG by a staggering 10.4 since the start of last season
- For comparison, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen has overperformed his xG by 10.9
- That is effectively a 20-goal swing between two relegation rivals this season if it continues
It goes without saying this level of profligacy cannot continue in this manner if Leeds have any intention of staying in the Premier League.
Calvert-Lewin’s struggles continuing into this season
Calvert-Lewin’s solitary goal came in Leeds’ 3-1 win at Wolves, in what was a highlight of the season so far.
Indeed, that goal led to suggestions Calvert-Lewin could be in England call-up contention, although that seems incredibly fanciful at this point.
In that game, the 28-year-old got between two Wolves players and sent a towering header into the back of the net.
It was a ‘proper’ finish from a striker who knows how to put himself about in the opposition box. However, that was one of just 22 touches Calvert-Lewin has managed in the opposition box this term.
That is one for every 20 minutes he has spent on the field in Leeds colours in the Premier League.
The low point for Calvert-Lewin came in the loss to Tottenham, in which Leeds missed three big chances to earn a point – or indeed more.
As per Sofascore, Calvert-Lewin has missed five chances in the Premier League this season, which places him third among all Premier League players.
The other two may seem surprising on the face of it, but Erling Haaland (eight) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (10) have scored 11 and five goals respectively.
They miss chances, but they also take plenty more. Leeds, unfortunately, are not in a position in which they can afford to miss chances.
Farke was disappointed not to have been backed to bring in another striker in the summer, and there have been injury issues to contend with, but sticking with Calvert-Lewin simply isn’t the answer.
As Everton fans were quick to point out, Calvert-Lewin is a frustrating presence and – as harsh as it sounds – is not cut out to lead a Premier League attack.
The statistics lay that out, and now it is over to Farke to change things around for Leeds’ huge clash with West Ham on Friday.
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