FOUR GOALS IN FOUR GAMES: DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN SENDS WORLD CUP MESSAGE TO TUCHEL
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored 4 goals in 4 games for Leeds. Now, he’s eyeing a spot in Thomas Tuchel's 2026 World Cup squad.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin says playing for England at next year's World Cup is still his ultimate goal. The 28-year-old is on a hot streak, scoring four goals in his last four games, really hitting his stride after moving to Leeds United this summer.
He's played for England 11 times before, but not since July 2021. Even though it's been a while, he's still dreaming of wearing that Three Lions shirt again.
Before Saturday's game against Crystal Palace, Calvert-Lewin mentioned that playing for your country at a World Cup is the top wish for any player, especially with the World Cup coming up next year.
He said, Playing for England has always been my dream. It's the best feeling ever. Like any kid who grew up watching England, that's still what I want.
The Mirror quotes him as saying, I'd be shocked if playing for England wasn't the main goal for every English player. It's been my aim since the last time I played for England.
He added, I've always believed I could get back there, even when it seemed far off.
But, to give you the usual answer, I'm focused on Leeds. My main job is to keep the club in the Premier League, and that's always my top priority.
To reach my England goal, I need to keep playing well. Hopefully, getting into the national team will just happen as a result of that.
England boss Thomas Tuchel will be watching a lot of players over the next few months, but he hasn't contacted Calvert-Lewin yet.
Calvert-Lewin, who has scored four goals in his 11 appearances for England, is sure he can get back into the mix if he keeps performing for Leeds.
When asked if Tuchel had been in touch, Calvert-Lewin said, No, but I don't expect him to be. Playing well consistently is what will get me noticed.
I'm not getting too excited just because I'm in good form and scoring goals. I'm trying to stay calm, just like when things weren't going so well. Nothing's really changed for me.
I remember every goal and every game I played for England. Looking back, I wouldn't say I took it for granted, but things can change fast in football. I'm proof of that—you can be really close to something but also really far away.
There's always someone waiting to take your place; that's just how it is in elite sport. When you're English, there are so many talented players.
I always knew I'd need some luck and good timing to get back in the national team. You have to be in good form and build from there to make things happen.
MICHAEL OWEN DECLARES PREMIER LEAGUE "NEARLY WRAPPED UP" FOR LEADERS ARSENAL
Michael Owen tells talkSPORT that Arsenal have "wrapped up" the Premier League title, sitting six points clear with 14 games left.
Michael Owen says Arsenal has basically wrapped up the league.
Right now, Mikel Arteta’s team sits six points clear at the top of the Premier League. Fourteen games left, but they’re determined not to trip up like they did in the past. Three years in a row, they finished second—always just missing out on Manchester City or Liverpool. Remember that eight-point lead they blew to City in 2022/23? That one really stung, especially since City went on to win everything: the league, the Champions League, and the Carabao Cup.
On Wednesday morning, Owen—yeah, the former United and Liverpool striker—went on talkSPORT and talked about how easy Arsenal has it this season. “I don’t think anyone’s good enough to compete with them this year,” he said. “Even though I don’t think the points total will be that high.” He figured only Liverpool or City had a shot at the start of the season, but both have fallen off. So, in Owen’s mind, Arsenal has pretty much been handed the title. “Nobody’s put much pressure on them,” he said. “The league is nearly wrapped up.”
And Arsenal just beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Emirates in the Carabao Cup (4-2 on aggregate), so now they’re one win away from silverware—it would be their first trophy under Arteta since that FA Cup back in 2020.
Owen already thinks Arsenal will be champions this year, and he’s backing them for the League Cup too. “I think they could win the Carabao Cup, absolutely,” he said. “But the other two trophies are going to be tough.”
The Gunners are still chasing the quadruple. They topped their Champions League group, knocked Portsmouth out of the FA Cup, and haven’t lost in Europe—getting some big wins over Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich along the way.
Owen, who’s got a Ballon d’Or to his name, thinks Arsenal will face stiffer competition outside England. “Everyone else will be focusing on the FA Cup now, since the league’s pretty much over,” he said. “It’s the only thing that can save their season, so clubs will put out strong teams.” Then there’s the Champions League, which feels wide open this year.
Alan Brazil from talkSPORT asked Owen if Arsenal could actually win all four trophies. Owen shot that down. “No, I don’t think so,” he replied. “But they’re special, a really strong, efficient side.”
ASTON VILLA VALUE MORGAN ROGERS AT £100M+ AS LIVERPOOL AND CHELSEA CIRCLE
Aston Villa face a fight to keep £100m-rated Morgan Rogers as Liverpool and Chelsea circle the England star for a summer move.
Aston Villa really wants to hang on to Morgan Rogers, but that’s going to be tough this summer. There’s serious money on the table, and both Liverpool and Chelsea can’t seem to take their eyes off him. One journalist even called Rogers “a joy to watch.”
Rogers is only 23, but he’s come a long way fast. Villa picked him up from Middlesbrough just over two years ago for an initial £8 million, which doubled when you count the add-ons. At the time, not everyone was convinced—he came in without much fuss, just another Manchester City academy kid trying to make his mark. But look at him now: one of the best signings Villa’s made in years, his value through the roof, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a starting lineup without his name for either club or country.
Villa now rates him at more than £100 million, and the whole “big six” wants him. He even landed a new contract in November, tying him to Villa until June 2031. But even with that deal, Mark Carey from The Athletic thinks Villa will have their hands full trying to keep him. Rogers isn’t just playing well under Unai Emery—he’s on fire, and with the World Cup coming up, his profile’s only getting bigger.
Nine goals and seven assists from 34 games this season say it all. That’s why the top clubs keep circling. Liverpool and Chelsea are both sniffing around, and if Chelsea loses Cole Palmer, they’ll be even more desperate. Carey says teams in England and abroad won’t be scared off by Villa’s tough stance or Rogers’ long contract.
Carey’s pretty blunt: Villa’s resolve is about to face its biggest test yet. He says it’ll be interesting to see how the club reacts, especially if they miss out on the Champions League for 2026/27.
So why is Rogers worth more than £100 million now? Carey points to the long contract as a bit of a safety net for Villa, but Rogers’ progress is off the charts. He’s that good—“a joy to watch,” in Carey’s words—and honestly, there’s no ceiling to how far he can go.
You could see this coming even last September. Transfer insider Dean Jones already knew Villa rated Rogers highly and figured he could be the club’s next £100m man after Jack Grealish. Jones said people close to Villa believed Rogers would hit that price by the January window, but selling him mid-season wasn’t really on the table. If Rogers kept playing like this, Jones said, the £100m tag would stick by next summer—especially with that long contract.
Jones summed it up: Rogers has become one of the most exciting attackers in the Premier League, and Villa is determined to keep him. Last summer, insiders said Villa internally priced him at £80 million and made it clear he wasn’t for sale.
But if Mark Carey’s right and Villa’s resolve gets pushed this summer, they won't settle for less than what Man City paid for Grealish (£100 million). Honestly, with the way things are going, they might even demand the kind of money Liverpool shelled out for Florian Wirtz—around £116 million.