After Dominic Calvert-Lewin won the EA SPORTS Player of the Month for September, Adrian Clarke looks at why he has begun 2020/21 so well.
Keeping it simple
It has been a dream start to the season for the Everton striker.
Calvert-Lewin has scored six times in four Premier League matches and marked his England debut with the opening goal in a 3-0 win over Wales.
Part of the reason behind his brilliant form is that the 23-year-old has simplified his game to suit the Toffees’ evolving tactics.
Calvert-Lewin's season so far
Last season he operated as one of two forwards in a 4-4-2 system, making lung-busting runs out wide, but Carlo Ancelotti has since changed his formation.
This possession-based set-up allows Calvert-Lewin to play more centrally, where he is most effective.
Calvert-Lewin - 2019/20 v 2020/21
| Per 90min | 2019/20 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 2.9 | 4.0 |
| Shots on target | 1.3 | 2.4 |
| Headed efforts | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| Chances created | 1.5 | 0.3 |
Calvert-Lewin’s early-season numbers show this tweak to his game is making him more dangerous.
Less of a creator, and without doubt the main man, he is flourishing in his role as Everton’s lone frontman.
By staying inside the box, he is having more headed shots, with three of his six strikes coming this way.
Everton’s supply line is also markedly better in 2020/21 after the arrival of James Rodriguez.
The Colombian has made Everton more dangerous from set-pieces, while the new 4-3-3 shape is helping the full-backs get into more advanced areas to cross.
These factors suit Calvert-Lewin, who has scored all his goals from close range.
Calvert-Lewin's finishing
| 2019/20 | 2020/21 | |
|---|---|---|
| Big chances/90 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| Conversion rate | 18.6% | 46.2% |
| Mins/goal | 202.2 | 56.7 |
Everton have carved out 1.6 big chances per 90 minutes for their No 9 so far.
This has helped him score at a remarkable rate of a goal every 56.7 minutes, compared with one every 202.2 minutes last term.
While he is yet to score from outside the area, Calvert-Lewin’s confidence in front of goal has been outstanding.
A conversion rate of 46.2 per cent is unsustainable over a full season, but it underlines how clinical he is right now.
Calvert-Lewin is in the form of his life.
His next challenge is to maintain his goalscoring run against the Premier League champions, as Everton host Liverpool in the Merseyside derby after the international break.
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See: Ancelotti: Focus and drive behind Calvert-Lewin's success