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.
AWONIYI DOUBLE LEAVES NOTTINGHAM FOREST ON THE VERGE OF PREMIER LEAGUE SAFETY
Nottingham Forest moved closer to safety with a 3-1 win over Chelsea, while West Ham fell into the relegation zone after Spurs won.
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Nottingham Forest came out of the weekend looking pretty safe after pulling off an impressive 3-1 win at Chelsea. They’re almost clear of the relegation mess. Tottenham’s big away win at Aston Villa shook things up too, and now West Ham are back in the bottom three, running out of time faster than ever.
Forest have stepped up just when they needed to, leaving West Ham and Tottenham behind with a string of solid performances. Honestly, no one saw this coming, especially since Vitor Pereira shuffled his lineup with eight changes, fresh off a Europa League win against Aston Villa.
Even so, Forest were ahead within 90 seconds, thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s quick strike. By the 15th minute, Igor Jesus calmly buried a penalty after Malo Gusto’s reckless foul in the box. Chelsea had a chance to get back in it, but Cole Palmer wasted a penalty right before the break after a scary head collision involving Jesse Derry.
Awoniyi doubled down and scored again early in the second half, pushing Forest six points ahead of West Ham with just three games left.
West Ham’s weekend started badly; they looked flat and lost to Brentford. Things got worse Sunday night when Tottenham pulled off their first back-to-back Premier League wins since August 2025, beating a heavily rotated Aston Villa side 2-1.
Forest is now out of West Ham’s reach, or almost. Tottenham’s still close enough for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team to worry, but with three tough games coming up, Spurs could stay up even without another win, unless West Ham digs deep and pulls off something unexpected before their home finale against Leeds.
Right now, Forest can practically taste safety. Spurs finally see a way out after weeks of struggle. As for West Ham, they’re left hoping for a miracle, a last-minute twist to dodge the drop.
CESC FABREGAS CONFIRMS INTEREST IN PREMIER LEAGUE RETURN AMID CHELSEA'S MANAGER SEARCH
As Chelsea searches for a new manager, Cesc Fabregas breaks his silence on his future at Como and his Premier League ambitions.
Cesc Fabregas recalls exactly how a conversation with Jose Mourinho prompted him to join Chelsea, despite having the opportunity to return to Arsenal.
After winning six trophies in just three seasons, the Spanish World Cup winner left Barcelona for the second time in 2014. That summer, Fabregas made a move back to the Premier League, signing with Chelsea for about €33 million.
He already knew English football well. Fabregas had arrived at Arsenal as a 16-year-old from Barcelona in 2003 and made 212 Premier League appearances for them. When he decided to leave Barcelona, Manchester City also wanted him, but Chelsea convinced him, mostly thanks to Mourinho.
Talking with talkSPORT’s Rory Jennings on YouTube, Fabregas laid out how it all happened. “Honestly, when I made up my mind to leave Barcelona, my first thought was just to go back to Arsenal. They had this buyback clause; they had two weeks to use it after I told them I was leaving. They knew about it but didn’t take it. That surprised me a little, but in the end, I had to think about my career. I was 27, at the peak of my career, and I wanted to continue performing and winning trophies. City and Chelsea were both options.
“But when Mourinho spoke to me, that was it. He showed me his plans for the team and told me about Diego Costa, Courtois, and Filipe Luis and how, with those guys, we’d win the league. He was right, by the way. We won both the Premier League and the Carling Cup.”
Fabregas wasted no time winning over Chelsea fans. On his debut at Burnley, he set up two goals, including a stunning assist for Andre Schurrle. He finished his first season at Chelsea with five goals and 24 assists, along with Premier League and League Cup medals.
Things dipped the next season. Fabregas got just 15 goal contributions, and Chelsea slipped all the way to tenth. But when Antonio Conte took charge in 2016-17, they bounced back, and Fabregas picked up another league title.
He added an FA Cup win in 2018, his second, after his earlier one with Arsenal, and left for Monaco a few months later. His last Chelsea match came in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest. When he got subbed off, he couldn’t hold back tears.
Chelsea supporters still sing about him; that “Oh, Fabregas is magic...” chant sticks around. And with his name in the conversation for a possible return, maybe they haven’t seen the last of him yet.
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