Dominic Calvert-Lewin could not have timed his latest hat-trick much better as Everton put four past West Ham in the Carabao Cup.
Gareth Southgate is set to name an extended squad for England’s upcoming fixtures against Wales, Belgium and Denmark at Wembley and Calvert-Lewin has catapulted himself back into consideration with a goal every 50 minutes so far in the Premier League.
On Wednesday night, the 23-year-old was in an unstoppable mood again as West Ham became the latest side to fall victim to his blistering start to the season.
The striker scored three very different goals. For his first, he took a weighted touch before dinking the ball past Darren Randolph.
His second was poached off the rebound after Alex Iwobi’s shot hit the post. Finally, he eased past West Ham’s back line, latched onto Gylfi Sigurdsson’s lay-off and completed his second hat-trick in less than a fortnight.
In short, everything Calvert-Lewin is touching seems to find the back of the net. It is all the more remarkable considering he has only once before hit double figures in an entire season.
In just five games so far, he has already scored more than half the 15 goals he managed in all competitions last term – and that was a career best.
How Ancelotti has transformed Calvert-Lewin
Carlo Ancelotti’s impact is obvious, his upsurge in form coming off the back of the pair’s first full pre-season together.
The Everton boss has already compared his key man to Filippo Inzaghi and on the training ground, he has been encouraging Calvert-Lewin to emulate the prolific AC Milan legend.
When the Italian first arrived at Goodison Park, he claimed he had considered signing the England international during his time at Napoli and was immediately impressed by his work ethic.
The real key to his transformation, however, has not been down to hard work alone.
Ancelotti has him working smarter, not just harder. As a result, he puts his transformation down to him being more “focused in the box”.
The numbers back up that hypothesis, too.
Calvert-Lewin is now averaging nearly two shots per game from within the six-yard box. He is also taking more touches in the penalty area than at any other time in his career.
Just as Ancelotti got the best out of Inzaghi, he is having the same magic touch on Merseyside.
A welcome problem for Southgate
Ancelotti must take much of the credit, but Southgate will be another beneficiary of these changes to Calvert-Lewin’s game.
His resurgence has been impossible to ignore – even at a time when the England manager hardly needs any more attacking headaches.
Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood are already in contention behind Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford.
If there is one area of the pitch where Southgate does not need any more options, it is precisely where Calvert-Lewin is trying to burst into the reckoning.
Nobody at the FA can have predicted this a year ago either given some of his more underwhelming performances for England’s U21s.
Yet his impending call-up is thoroughly deserved and presents the national side with a welcome problem.
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