Everton and the Dominic Calvert-Lewin dilemma
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton's striker, struggled with finishing during the recent match against Ipswich, missing two significant goal-scoring opportunities.
- Despite having a higher expected goals total of 1.3 for the match, he failed to convert chances and is seen as critical to Sean Dyche's playing style.
- Everton's current tactics may not be effectively utilizing Calvert-Lewin's strengths, leading to concerns about his goal-scoring form.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin's recent match with Everton at Portman Road highlighted his ongoing struggle with finishing, as he missed two golden chances to score. The striker's expected goals total for that match was 1.3, indicating that he was in favorable positions but failed to capitalize on those opportunities. This trend of missing big chances has sparked debate regarding his role in Sean Dyche’s setup. Historically, Calvert-Lewin had a fruitful period under former manager Carlo Ancelotti, who understood how to maximize his potential. However, currently, he appears to be underperforming, having scored only twice from outside the box during his time at Everton. Since the 2018-19 season, his scoring tally of 46 goals significantly lags behind an expected goals total of 61, indicating a consistent underperformance attributed to poor shot placement. Manager Dyche’s demands for his lone striker involve extensive movement and playing both with and without the ball, which has led to Calvert-Lewin being involved in many plays. However, the system may not be effectively serving his goal-scoring instinct, as shown by his low touch statistics in the opposition third. Given his skills, it raises concerns about whether the club can return to a system that capitalizes on his strengths and improves his finishing capabilities, especially given the potential impact on the team's overall performance this season.