An examination of the changes in Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s displays after the Everton striker declared himself to be “an action man”
Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates with Everton supporters after the win over Bournemouth
Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates with Everton supporters after the win over Bournemouth.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has declared he’s “an action man” and after two years of injury hell “the fire has been lit again,” but just what is Everton’s number nine now doing differently?
Speaking in Everton’s matchday programme against Bournemouth, the striker said: “I think it’s true that you learn the most about yourself in difficult times. It’s taught me a lot of things.
“Patience. I’m not a very patient person but I’ve had to be patient and to repeat the process more times than I would have liked in terms of working so hard to get back and then have another upset, that was the most difficult part because it’s like the cycle repeats again.
“I just love it. Playing football is part of my identity so when you can’t do it and you’re not involved, you miss the training, the schedule, the camaraderie of being around the lads and being in it, prepping for games, rather than going home to prepare for a training session on your own or, even worse, in the treatment room.”
Calvert-Lewin added: “I can’t really put into words how happy I am to be back playing. I think you can see it on my face.
“To train every day and not worry about when I’m going to be back, what I’ve got to do when I’m back… I’m an action man. I prefer to do than to think or to speak, so to be able to do it makes life a whole lot easier.
“I put it together into a period of 18 months or so and I feel like the person I was going into that period… It’s like I’ve gone from boy to man.
“I feel like I’m more of a man now with what I’ve had to deal with. I felt like I was perhaps on a steady upwards trajectory and then you hit a road block – and that’s when you have to look in the mirror and decide who you are going to be.
“I have a saying, ‘time waits for no-one, the world keeps spinning’. When you’re sat on the sidelines everything goes on. I was doing well before the injuries, here at Everton and I got myself into a good position in the England set-up but people go past you because you can’t do anything about it.
“It’s hard to be deprived of playing but now to be back… The fire has been lit again.”
Calvert-Lewin played fewer than half of Everton’s matches in both of the previous two seasons but after what he described as a “factory reset” in terms of a fresh approach this summer, with a new fitness programme that included yoga plus a visit to a neuro training centre in Germany, the 26-year-old is getting back to his best. Recovering from the devastating blow of suffering a facial injury on his return following a collision with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and being jeered by some of the frustrated fans of his own team when he was forced to go off because the swelling was impairing his vision, Calvert-Lewin has been in fine form of late.
His goals against Brentford, Aston Villa and Luton Town were the first time he had scored from open play in three consecutive matches since March 2020 and although he wasn’t able to extend the sequence in the 3-0 win over Bournemouth, to reach his half century for Everton in the Premier League, the Sheffield-born player produced another polished display against the Cherries, earning a score of 8 in the ECHO ratings with Connor O’Neill writing: “Led the line superbly well. Forced the Bournemouth backline into numerous mistakes and was a constant threat.
“It’s my normal, playing football – and it has been since I was a kid. It reminds you of how precious it is and how much you enjoy doing it, when it’s taken away from you.
“Twice went close before being replaced. Everton are just a far better side with him leading the line.”
An examination of Calvert-Lewin’s contributions on Comparisonator also highlights what he is doing differently for Sean Dyche’s side. Their AI Main Index which calculates multiple facets of a performance has increased his score from 104.8 last season to 261.5 while his AI Offensive Index has gone up from 139.5 to 279.4.
Other than his goal output, which is already one better than the whole of last term – and one of those was a penalty – there are several other markers to show how well the centre-forward is doing. His expected goals (xG) figure has increased 130% from 0.35 to 0.8 while he is up 72% from 0.36 to 0.62 for playing in scoring attacks.
Calvert-Lewin is firing in some 59% more shots, going from 1.95 per 90 minutes to 3.11 and 29% more of them are on target, increasing from 0.72 to 0.93. He’s getting 40% more touches in the box, going from 3.33 to 4.67; some 39% more opportunities, from 2.24 to 3.11 and perhaps most telling, his percentage of opportunities converted has skyrocketed an incredible 790% from 0.07 to 0.62.
There is a slight 2.7% increase in his shots on target which have gone from 24% to 27% but Calvert-Lewin has pulled this up by 16% for goals per shot with this figure increasing from 7.4% to 23%. An “action man” indeed.
