Dominic Calvert-Lewin point raised after what he has done at Leeds United
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s start to life at Leeds has sparked mixed emotions.
Leeds United sit 15th in the Premier League after seven games, which is neither magnificent nor is it terrible.
However, their position could be significantly better had it not been for several missed chances over the last few Premier League encounters.
Calvert-Lewin has had a lot of them, and despite missing them, Jermaine Beckford has been pleased with what he has seen from Leeds’ new striker.
Jermaine Beckford impressed with Calvert-Lewin’s game
Calvert-Lewin scored his first Leeds goal in their win against Wolves, but he has been unable to find the back of the net since.
That is despite the fact that he has had several big chances, which have often cost the Whites points at the end of the game.
However, the 28-year-old has fared generally well outside of his finishing, with his hold-up play and linking ability often key in the build-up.
Jermaine Beckford has been impressed with that aspect of his game, while jumping to the defence of Calvert-Lewin, who has come in for a lot of criticism.
Speaking to Leeds Live, he said: “I genuinely hate putting dates and games as timelines [on scoring], because these players offer so much more than just the goals.
“Dominic holds the ball up, he’s pinning the defender, he’s got another one closing him down. He sets the ball off to Ethan Ampadu or somebody else in the middle to spread the ball out to the other side.
“Now, if he does that in two, three, four, five, six games in a row and doesn’t score, are we going to judge him on that or not scoring?”
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Calvert-Lewin’s season by numbers
Albeit marginally, Calvert-Lewin is underperforming his xG this season.
Via FotMob, the 28-year-old has recorded 1.34 xG, converted to 2.03 xGOT, and has just one goal to show for his efforts in the final third.
On the other hand, he has created six chances, which showcases the fact that Beckford’s argument over his hold-up play has weight to it.
Only 41.2 per cent of his aerial duels have been successful, while 37.1 per cent of those in total have resulted in him winning possession of the ball.
There are some positive signs from his start at Leeds, but goals win games, and without them, the Whites are going to struggle.
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