Daniel Farke’s ‘game-changer’ gives Leeds United edge over Premier League relegation rivals
It’s been a transformative week for Leeds United, who have been handed fresh hope of avoiding relegation.
Firstly, Leeds secured a thrilling 3-1 victory over Chelsea last Wednesday, before clinching a dramatic 3-3 draw against Liverpool on Saturday evening.
Four points from two difficult games on paper have given Leeds a chance of avoiding relegation from the Premier League, and as it stands, Daniel Farke’s men are two points clear of 18th-place West Ham.
Ahead of a jam-packed fixture schedule over Christmas, the Whites can ill-afford to take their foot off the gas, and one man will be crucial to their hopes of pulling away from the bottom three.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is in ‘sensational’ Leeds form
When Leeds signed Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the summer, eyebrows were raised over his injury record and his goalscoring talents.
Initially, supporters were right to question the latter, as the 28-year-old found the net just once in his first 10 league matches.
However, since Farke switched to a 3-5-2 system at Leeds, with Calvert-Lewin playing alongside a strike partner, the former Everton man has scored three goals in as many matches.
As a result, Chris Sutton has urged Thomas Tuchel to select Calvert-Lewin for his England World Cup squad in 2026, and if he continues his recent stunning form, he might have a case.
The only English striker to score more goals this term than the Leeds hitman is Danny Welbeck, who has seven in 15 league matches.
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Calvert-Lewin gives Leeds United edge in survival hunt
Typically, when a team has a player who can hit double figures for goals, their chances of avoiding relegation are boosted.
Calvert-Lewin is on track to exceed the 10-goal mark in the league for the first time since the 2020/21 campaign at Everton, and the 11-cap England international gives Leeds the edge over their rivals.
Of all the teams fighting against dropping out of the top-flight, Calvert-Lewin is arguably the best out-and-out striker, with only West Ham’s Callum Wilson and Burnley’s Zian Flemming giving him a run for his money.
The pair have scored five and four goals, respectively, in the first half of the season. However, Burnley are on a downward spiral, having lost their last six matches.
An in-form Calvert-Lewin gives Leeds the confidence that avoiding relegation is possible, especially if he continues his purple patch.
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