Opinions, analysis and commentary
Eight points and third place after four Premier League games tell only half the story at Elland Road. The other half is Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 29 and rejuvenated on a free transfer nobody else wanted to gamble on. He has scored in three of Leeds’ four matches, including a decisive brace against Newcastle, and Daniel Farke’s system is built entirely around his movement. The real question hanging over this start isn’t his quality. It’s whether his body lets him sustain it, and Farke is already managing his minutes to find out.
Leeds opened this season with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on 22 August, with Anton Stach’s 88th-minute free kick the difference. A 1-1 draw with Brentford followed at home, Calvert-Lewin equalising late, then another 1-1 draw at Brighton on 5 September.
The fourth game was the statement. Newcastle arrived at Elland Road on 14 September and left beaten 4-1, their first defeat under Matthias Jaissle. Ao Tanaka opened the scoring, Calvert-Lewin added two before half-time, and Noah Okafor finished it off after the break.
That result moved Leeds to third, their best position after four games in over two decades, with just two goals conceded, the joint-best defensive record anywhere in the division. Crystal Palace visit Elland Road next on 20 September, before a tougher trip to Arsenal in early October tests that record properly.
Calvert-Lewin’s final years at Everton told a very different story. Across 239 appearances he scored 57 goals, but recurring hamstring and knee injuries kept interrupting his rhythm, and by his own admission he had quietly begun to stagnate on Merseyside, short of the standard he once set for himself.
When his contract expired in 2025, several clubs weighed up the risk and walked away. Daniel Farke did not. Leeds signed him on a free transfer, and he repaid that faith with 14 Premier League goals in 35 appearances last season, 74 shots and a non-penalty expected-goals tally of 11.02, placing him in the 91st percentile among top-flight forwards. Leeds finished 14th and stayed up, largely because of him.
Three goals in four matches this term put him top of the club’s scoring charts and make him the only Leeds player to find the net in more than one match so far. A late header against Brentford, a finish at Brighton, and a brace against Newcastle have carried an attack that is still settling into its new shape elsewhere.
Against Newcastle alone, the hosts created 2.08 expected goals to the visitors’ 0.88, with his movement doing much of the work behind that gap. Farke has publicly credited his confidence and fitness levels for the turnaround, calling him one of the league’s standout strikers and pointing to a player who has taken responsibility for leading the group.
Farke builds his side around a compact defensive shape, aggressive pressing triggers, and quick transitions, and that setup happens to be a perfect blueprint for how Calvert-Lewin plays. His hold-up work occupies opposition centre-backs and drags runners like Okafor and Aaronson into space behind them.
Both goals against Newcastle came through service down the channels, a towering header that deflected in and a composed finish cutting inside on his right foot. That aerial threat combined with sharp near-post runs makes him the focal point of nearly everything Leeds try to build from deep in their own half.
The tougher question isn’t whether he’s good; it’s whether he’s still on the pitch by December. Several Everton campaigns were cut short by hamstring and knee trouble, and Leeds have already started managing his minutes carefully, substituting him once the Newcastle game was safely won.
The schedule only gets harder from here, with Arsenal away in October and Manchester United visiting Elland Road on 17 October. He missed this year’s World Cup despite an England call-up in March, sent home early by Thomas Tuchel, but three goals in four games have reopened that conversation. Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s Leeds Premier League form this season is already halfway to matching his entire tally from last year, and the real test is whether his body lets him finish what he’s started.
Does this Calvert-Lewin run earn him a place back in England’s squad, or is Leeds’ start built on something that won’t last the season? Have your say below.
How many goals has Calvert-Lewin scored this season?
He has scored three goals in Leeds’ first four Premier League matches. That includes a late header against Brentford, a finish at Brighton, and two against Newcastle.
Why did Calvert-Lewin sign for Leeds United?
He joined on a free transfer after his Everton contract expired in 2025. Daniel Farke backed him despite several clubs passing, and he repaid it with 14 league goals last season.
Where do Leeds sit in the Premier League table right now?
Leeds are third with eight points from their opening four matches. Their only defensive blemish so far is two goals conceded, still the joint-best record in the entire division.
Who scored the goals in Leeds’ win over Newcastle United this season?
Ao Tanaka, Dominic Calvert-Lewin twice, and Noah Okafor all found the net. The 4-1 home win at Elland Road handed Matthias Jaissle his first defeat as Newcastle manager.
Could Calvert-Lewin still get an England recall?
It’s a live possibility after his early-season scoring form. He was called up in March but missed the World Cup squad after being sent home early by Thomas Tuchel
football
cricket