Leeds United are aiming to kick on in the Premier League this season after they finished 14th in the division in their first year back in the big time.
Second season syndrome is a real thing, as Sunderland are finding out, and there was no guarantee that the Whites were going to progress this year.
Daniel Farke‘s side, though, have enjoyed a strong start to the campaign with two wins, four draws, and one defeat in the first seven games in the Premier League.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s start to the campaign has a played a key role in the team’s success on the pitch, as he has hit the ground running for the Whites.
How Calvert-Lewin is carrying Leeds’ form
The England international has been a talisman for Leeds at the top end of the pitch this season, scoring the equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday.
More often than not, Calvert-Lewin is the man to step up when the West Yorkshire outfit need a goal to secure a point or a win, as he did against the Red Devils at the weekend.
He has now scored four goals from 3.72 xG across the first seven games of the Premier League campaign, contributing to a point against Brentford, three points against Newcastle, and a point against Manchester United.
|
Calvert-Lewin in 26/27 Premier League |
|
|---|---|
|
Opposition |
Goals |
|
Man Utd |
1 |
|
Arsenal |
0 |
|
Crystal Palace |
0 |
|
Newcastle United |
2 |
|
Brighton |
0 |
|
Brentford |
1 |
|
Nottingham Forest |
0 |
The 29-year-old striker has scored more goals (18) than any other Leeds player since the start of last season, and continues to carry the team from the offensive perspective.
Why Calvert-Lewin’s Leeds form is a surprise
Calvert-Lewin carrying his goalscoring form over to the current campaign has come as a surprise because of his inconsistency in the years leading up to his time at Elland Road.
The English striker scored three goals from 6.75 xG in the 2024/25 campaign for Everton and only scored eight goals from 12.93 in the season before that with the Toffees.
He failed to hit double figures for goals in each of his last four full seasons at Goodison Park, which is why his consistent quality as a goalscorer for Leeds has been a pleasant surprise.
There may have been some concern in the summer when the club opted against signing another striker to challenge him, but Calvert-Lewin has shown that he does not need any support or competition to remain reliable as the first-choice number nine.
How Calvert-Lewin has ended £8.5m star’s Leeds career
The former Everton centre-forward’s outstanding quality and impressive consistency in the Premier League since the start of last season may have ended the career of one of the club’s other strikers.
Academy graduate Mateo Joseph scored three goals and provided three assists in 40 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, as the Whites earned promotion out of the Championship.
The Spain U21 international looked like a promising young talent, after scoring 20 goals in 34 games at U21 level, but Farke did not deem him ready for the top-flight last season and sent him out on loan to Mallorca.
Leeds and Real Betis had agreed an £8.5m fee for a permanent transfer for the Spanish striker, but he ended up going out on loan to Mallorca instead of leaving Elland Road permanently.
Unfortunately, Joseph failed to deliver consistently in LaLiga during his time out on loan last season, as he only scored two goals from 5.09 xG in 29 appearances.
|
2025/26 LaLiga |
Mateo Joseph |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
29 |
|
xG |
5.09 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.5 |
|
Big chances created |
3 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Duel success rate |
40% |
After struggling in LaLiga, the 23-year-old centre-forward sustained an ACL injury that is expected to keep him out of competitive action until the turn of the year.
In the time that Joseph has gone out on loan and suffered a long-term injury, Calvert-Lewin has established himself as an important and consistent part of the Leeds team as the first-choice striker.
Meanwhile, Lukas Nmecha also outperformed Joseph at league level last term with his return of six goals and one assist in the Premier League for the Whites.
Therefore, it now looks like Joseph may not be seen in a Leeds shirt again because the £8.5m-rated striker has little chance of usurping Calvert-Lewin, given their respective form in recent seasons.
It could be that the striker looks to make an instant move away from Elland Road, whether that is on loan or permanently, once he is back from injury in January.
