If you had offered Daniel Farke seven points after Leeds United’s first five games and 12th place in the Premier League table, you can be sure the German gaffer would have snapped your arm off.
On Saturday, Leeds beat Wolves. It saw Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Noah Okafor, and Anton Stach all score their first goals. The first time in Leeds’ history that three players scored their first goals in the same game.
But more importantly, it saw Daniel Farke’s side respond to the disappointment of the defeat at Fulham. A loss that could have had a lasting impact, losing the way they did through an own goal in injury time.
Even after going behind. Three excellent goals that delivered a second win of the season and gave Farke and Leeds fans more hope that The Whites can break the trend of promoted sides being relegated.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer discuss Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Calvert-Lewin pointed to his name when he scored, looking visibly fired up in front of Wolves fans. After the game, the England striker said Leeds had put ‘rumours’ to bed about a lack of attacking firepower.
Speaking on Monday’s The Rest Is Football, Lineker and Shearer were in agreement that if Leeds can keep Calvert-Lewin fit, then the former Everton striker will score goals for Leeds, after he opened his account.
Having praised Leeds for the win, Lineker said: “Also, I’m pleased for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to get a goal. Hopefully, if he can stay fit, we know there is a player there,” after Calvert-Lewin’s second league start.
Shearer replied to Lineker’s comments: “That’s the big thing, staying fit with him, if they can get balls up to him and in to him, he can score goals. But it is a big if, if he can stay fit,” he reminded Leeds supporters.
No one will have been more delighted than Adam Underwood
Adam Underwood had to be clever in the summer. With a limited amount of cash available to be spent, Leeds had to target players with a year left on their contracts or players known for injuries, to reduce cash.
The likes of Sean Longstaff, James Justin, Jaka Bijol, and Gabriel Gudmundsson were all signed, having gone into the final years of their contracts. It meant Leeds got them cheap, Gudmundsson especially.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s stats for Leeds in win v Wolves:
- 89 minutes played, 7.6 FotMob rating (Leeds’ fifth-best)
- XG+XA: 0.14, four defensive contributions
- One shot on target, one goal, three touches in Wolves box
- 36 touches, 11/15 successful passes (73%)
- Seven duels won, 12 lost
A gamble, a big risk. There have been injuries. Okafor, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Lukas Nmecha and Lucas Perri already suffering knocks. But no one will have been happier to see Calvert-Lewin score, than Underwood.
A big sigh of relief and a big sign that the decision to sign Calvert-Lewin instead of spending big on a new striker proved to be the right decision on Saturday. Hopefully, Calvert-Lewin can now build on that.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
