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FROM EVERTON "FLOP" TO LEEDS HERO: THE SECRET BEHIND DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN’S 2026 CAREER REVIVAL

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is Leeds United's hero with 6 goals in 5 games. Explore how Daniel Farke revived his England World Cup hopes.

From Everton "flop" to Leeds hero: The secret behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 2026 career revival
Six goals in five games?

Leeds United fans have had a blast this week, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the reason why. Forget Santa or even Daniel Farke; this striker is like the ultimate Christmas gift.

He's scored six goals in his last five games, including two in the Crystal Palace win last Saturday. Calvert-Lewin is now playing like everyone thought he could, but many worried he never would.

For too long, Calvert-Lewin was just a name on the injury list. A year ago, his manager, Sean Dyche, said he wasn't playing well. Playing for England? He barely made Everton’s bench.

His last season at Everton was tough. His contract was up in the air, and he went 16 games without a goal, only scoring three overall. It was clear he needed a fresh start.

Back in 2019, Calvert-Lewin wanted Everton’s No. 9 shirt, like his mentor Duncan Ferguson had. He loved the idea of being a fan favorite and taking on the responsibility.

But it didn't work out. Staying at Everton just didn't make sense for him or the team. He liked the idea of playing overseas, but there weren't many English teams interested.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored six goals in his last five games for Leeds United.

His late goal against Brentford got Leeds a point before Christmas.

The 28-year-old also scored twice in the 4-1 win against Crystal Palace.

Wayne Rooney, who played with Calvert-Lewin at Everton, said on his podcast that his injury record made it hard for teams to spend money on him.

'But if he keeps this up, he could be in the World Cup conversation because England doesn't have many forwards. He’s a threat in the box, good in the air, and scores goals.'

Since joining Leeds, Calvert-Lewin’s stats have gone up. He's gone from scoring every 538 minutes to every 147 minutes. He now runs 11 km per game, up from 10.3 km, and his shot accuracy has quadrupled.

His comeback has helped Farke, who was getting heat from fans in November.

But Farke can build players' confidence. He’s friendly, and he and Calvert-Lewin get along well. Calvert-Lewin plays best when he’s confident, and he’s starting to get that back.

Farke said, 'I’ve said he’s one of the best English strikers in the league. He also gets chances because we create good plays. We were good at set pieces last game.

Calvert-Lewin's good run started with three goals in eight days against Man City.

He scored in the 3-1 win against Chelsea.

He also helped Leeds come back from 2-0 down against Liverpool in a 3-3 draw.

‘It’s a team effort, and we need to get him in good positions. He also needs to keep working hard. I believe you get what you put in.

‘He’s putting in a lot of work now, and he needs to keep going. He’s playing great. I’m glad we have him. He's shown what he can do when he’s healthy. The season’s not over, and he wants to score more goals.’

If he keeps playing this well, Thomas Tuchel might consider him for the team. Calvert-Lewin was Harry Kane’s backup at the 2021 Euros.

Calvert-Lewin hasn’t scored ten goals in a season since 2020-21. Farke is happy with his play but knows he can do better.

Farke said, 'To be a top player for Leeds, he needs to do it for a whole season. Good players are steady. We’re all happy to have him, but he needs to keep it up.'

The best gifts last. It’s up to Calvert-Lewin to prove he can do it.

VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE

Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.

top-news
Antoine Semenyo’s clumsy challenge handed Chelsea a vital lifeline

Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.

This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.

What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.

VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."

VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.

At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.

Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.

The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.

Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.

A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.

Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth

Referee: Sam Barrott

VAR: Craig Pawson

What: VAR check for a foul in the box

When: 11th minute

BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW

Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.

top-news
Emery snubs Arteta's handshake

Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.

This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.

Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.

Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.

Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.

After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.

It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.

“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.

“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”

About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.

“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.

“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.

“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.

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