Calvert-Lewin gets it ‘horribly wrong’ before Leeds penalty shoot-out vs Sheffield Wednesday
Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggled on his debut as Leeds United lost on penalties to Sheffield Wednesday.
Calvert-Lewin, 28, signed for Leeds on a free transfer earlier in the summer after his contract came to an end with Everton at the end of last season.
The Englishman was absent from Daniel Farke’s squad as Leeds fell to defeat against Arsenal after winning against the Toffees at Elland Road.
As a result, there was excitement when Calvert-Lewin came on at Hillsborough on Tuesday (26 August) with over half an hour to go.
That quickly became subdued, something which has been picked up on by Clinton Morrison in the penalty shootout defeat.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has stinker vs Sheffield Wednesday
There is no getting away with how frustrating a defeat against second-tier opposition will be for the Whites, especially given the Owls’ recent struggles.
Karl Darlow has come under heavy scrutiny after losing to Wednesday, just to hammer home the annoyance of the result.
With that being said, there will now be all focus on the Premier League as opposed to potentially meaningless Carabao Cup games.
As positive as that may seem, the cup does pose the chance to allow fresh faces, like Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw, to pick up minutes.
That was also the case for Calvert-Lewin, who came off the bench against Sheffield Wednesday, making his Leeds debut in the process, but failed to make an impact, while also missing a penalty in the shootout.
One of his best chances to show his qualities came off a Jack Harrison cross, after a poor game of his own, but Clinton Morrison was left unimpressed by his effort on Sky Sports News (26 August, 09:45pm).
He said: “He had a chance to be fair. It was a good cross from Harrison, and he had a free header, Calvert-Lewin, but he got it horribly wrong.
“He is a threat, though. Harrison does well, it’s a great chance, he sees it all the way, but directs it wide of the post.”
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has work to do at Leeds United
There was always going to be a target on the 28-year-old’s back, and it is safe to say that it has only gotten bigger after a night at Hillsborough.
| Stat vs Sheffield Wednesday | Dominic Calvert-Lewin |
| Minutes played | 32 |
| Shots | 4 |
| Shot accuracy (%) | 25 |
| Defensive actions | 0 |
There is no hiding away after a poor miss from a good chance, before blazing a spot kick over the bar in a shootout.
It will now be interesting to see how Calvert-Lewin can bounce back at Elland Road, even after making just one appearance for the Whites.
Farke has work to do to get the best out of the former England international, but with his undoubted quality, he could still become a regular for Leeds moving forward.
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