Calvert-Lewin follows in footsteps of Leeds legend as Tottenham battle looms
Leeds will be relying on Dominic Calvert-Lewin to lead their attack in a tough game against Tottenham on Saturday.
Calvert-Lewin has begun to show signs of reaching his peak form after scoring his first Leeds goal against Wolves, then following that up with an all-action performance against Bournemouth last weekend.
He’ll have a tough battle against Cristian Romero, who’s back from injury for Spurs, and Micky Van de Ven.
However, the 28-year-old will likely be relishing the challenge to prove he still has what it takes to make an impact in the Premier League.
Tony Dorigo compares Dominic Calvert-Lewin to legendary Leeds striker Lee Chapman
The form of Calvert-Lewin and his teammates has led many pundits to change their mind about Leeds being relegation favourites.
It’s clear from their first handful of games that this Leeds team has a solid spine, works hard and is very well organised in defence.
Plus, Calvert-Lewin’s physical presence and aerial ability has given them the opportunity to attack more directly should they need to.
Indeed, Calvert-Lewin’s goal against Wolves came from nowhere, after full-back Jayden Bogle launched a long ball into the box from deep.
Speaking about this on The Square Ball podcast, former Leeds defender Tony Dorigo said this strategy reminded him of playing with legendary Leeds striker Lee Chapman.
He said: “We haven’t had the big towering centre-forward and Chappy was exactly that.
“As a full-back, I’m thinking well, I know exactly where’s going to be, so once I get half a yard I’m going to wizz it into that back stick.
“Bogle tried exactly the same thing [for Calvert-Lewin’s goal against Wolves], and to be fair, it was a great header.
“You look at Calvert-Lewin and he can do all the bits that you need him to do in that he holds it up, he gets hold of it with his feet, on his chest, flicks it on, runs the channel, so you now have the option to play different ways.”
Leeds’ season could rely on Calvert-Lewin remaining fit
Calvert-Lewin’s injury record remains the main fear for Leeds.
They signed the striker knowing he had struggled to remain fit during his final years at Everton, and they’ll be praying that his injury worries are behind him.
After all, there aren’t many strikers in the Premier League who can physically dominate defences like he can, let alone in Leeds’ squad.
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin Premier League statistics | |
| Premier League debut | August 2016 |
| Appearances | 243 |
| Goals | 58 |
Daniel Farke has had promising words to say about Joel Piroe, while Lukas Nmecha has been signed from Wolfsburg. However, there’s not yet any evidence that these two can make an impact in the Premier League.
Calvert-Lewin is the only proven striker in the Leeds’ dressing room at this level, and that is a worry. It means the team’s fortunes might be reliant on the former England striker staying fit.
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