adminLeeds United took a significant gamble when they decided to bring in centre-forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer following their promotion to the Premier League last year.
The English striker had managed just three goals from 6.75 xG in 26 Premier League appearances for Everton during the 2024/25 campaign before being released by the Toffees.
Despite his difficulties on Merseyside, Leeds were prepared to offer the forward an opportunity to revive his career at Elland Road under head coach Daniel Farke.
A tally of 19 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions for the club so far demonstrates that he has been a success in Yorkshire, although there is still room for further improvement from the 29-year-old number nine.
Where Calvert-Lewin needs to improve the most for Leeds
Despite the England international’s impressive performances during his spell at Elland Road, Calvert-Lewin still has another level to reach over the coming months and seasons.
The former Everton striker netted 14 goals in the Premier League during the 2025/26 campaign and has already scored three times in six appearances in the division at the beginning of the current season.
However, his overall contribution in possession needs to get better. In the league this season, Calvert-Lewin has completed just 49% of his attempted passes, successfully finding a teammate with 44 of his 89 attempts so far.
During the 2-1 loss to Arsenal, the Leeds forward completed only seven of his 20 attempted passes and surrendered possession 21 times from 35 touches throughout the 90 minutes.
He has been among the Premier League’s poorest passers this season, ranking unfavourably against other players in his position for passing and creativity. This is why improving his distribution should be his biggest priority for the Whites.
Calvert-Lewin’s performance against Arsenal
His shortcomings in possession undermined what was otherwise an impressive individual display in the 2-1 defeat to the Gunners in North London at the weekend.
Calvert-Lewin troubled Ezri Konsa and Gabriel with his physical presence in the number nine position, contesting a game-high 20 duels, split equally between ten ground duels and ten aerial battles.
The experienced forward won just eight of those 20 contests, which is not particularly impressive on the surface, but winning every duel was not necessarily required for him to unsettle the centre-backs and pressure them into making mistakes.
What ultimately disappointed was his passing, as he completed just 35% of his attempts and finished the match without registering a shot, completing a cross, producing a key pass, or creating a ‘big chance’. This suggests that he failed to make enough of his opportunities when in possession.
Leeds have a bigger talent than Calvert-Lewin
While Calvert-Lewin struggled on the ball on Saturday, one of his teammates delivered a performance that made him appear to be the most valuable player in the squad.
Arsenal had £105m signing Declan Rice operating in midfield against Leeds at the Emirates on Saturday, yet one of Farke’s talented midfielders managed to outperform him.
The Whites spent £17.4m to recruit Anton Stach from Hoffenheim in the summer of 2025, following their promotion from the Championship, and he is now beginning to resemble a midfielder worth £100m.
Against the Gunners, the Germany international got the better of Rice on several occasions and came out ahead of the England international with an outstanding performance on the pitch.
Stach has recorded six goals and three assists in all competitions since the beginning of last season, highlighting his attacking capabilities, but it was his defensive contribution that stood out on Saturday.
The 6 foot 4 midfield powerhouse helped the Whites compete physically throughout the contest through his tireless work without possession, repeatedly pressing and challenging Arsenal’s players.
Stach matched Rice across the middle of the pitch, winning a greater proportion of his aerial duels, making more tackles, covering more distance, and attempting more shots on goal.
The German midfielder was unfortunate to finish on the losing side after the display he produced for the Whites, delivering an all-round performance with valuable contributions at both ends of the pitch.
If Rice is valued at more than £100m, Stach deserves to be considered in a similar bracket, particularly when compared with the fees paid for some of the Premier League’s leading midfielders during the summer.
In the 2025/26 campaign, the former Hoffenheim midfielder won 53% of his duels and averaged 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game, alongside scoring five goals, creating nine ‘big chances’, and averaging 2.2 key passes per match.
These figures demonstrate that he has consistently delivered quality as a well-rounded Premier League midfielder, while his performance against the Gunners was no isolated achievement.
Stach, therefore, looks even more impressive than Calvert-Lewin, who is currently struggling with some of the fundamentals in possession. Just a year after joining Leeds for slightly more than £17m, the German midfielder is beginning to look like a £100m player for the Whites.
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