Everton manager Frank Lampard has revealed a massive team news boost ahead of the Toffees’ clash against West Ham on Sunday.
What’s the latest?
Taking to Friday’s press conference ahead of the clash at the London Stadium, the 43-year-old provided an update on Dominic Calvert-Lewin which will be music to Evertonian ears.
Speaking to the club’s official website about the 25-year-old, Lampard said: “He’s in a really good place. The break has been positive for Dominic (Calvert-Lewin).
“We’ve worked well, really closely with him over the past couple of weeks. Without putting unnecessary pressure on him, because it’s tough to be a striker with expectation. He’s in a really good place.”
Huge boost for Everton
Lampard’s latest update regarding Calvert-Lewin comes as a huge boost for Everton. The Toffees have often struggled in front of goal this season and, with just 29 goals in the Premier League, find themselves ranked as the joint-fourth lowest scorers in the top flight.
It is clear that Everton have missed their 25-year-old talisman this season, as indeed any team would be badly affected if they had to do without a player who netted 16 goals in his most recent league campaign and began this term with three in as many matches before injury struck.
Extra clarification of how poor Everton’s goalscoring numbers have been this season comes in the form of Liverpool superstar; Mohamed Salah. So far this season, the Egyptian has 30 goal contributions to his name, in the form of 20 goals and 10 assists. In other words, he has been involved in more goals on his own than Everton have scored as a team this season, a stat which will no doubt infuriate Toffees fans.
Lampard’s side find themselves in a precarious position in the table and will need all help they can get if they are to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Calvert-Lewin’s return also adds some enhancements which cannot be quantified, such as his ability to act as a focal point and create space for a team-mate, or his ability to hold up the ball in the attacking third; giving his team-mates the chance to make runs out wide. Whilst his end product should certainly aid Everton in their hunt for Premier League survival, his playing style as an out-and-out physical striker could indeed prove to be the difference between staying up and going down for the Toffees.
His impending return is undoubtedly a huge boost for Everton and will eave Lampard ecstatic ahead of a testing fixture this weekend against Europa League quarter-finalists West Ham.
In other news – Everton must finally unleash £19.8m “freak of a talent” who has been “destroyed”