Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been Leeds United’s focal point this season, leading from the front and playing a huge part in steering the club clear of the relegation scrap.
The 28-year-old has struck 10 goals in 22 Premier League appearances, and his contributions have been central to Leeds’ upturn in form over the past few months.
There were understandable doubts when Leeds moved for him last summer. His final couple of seasons at Everton were disrupted by injuries and patchy form, making the transfer something of a calculated risk.
But it’s a gamble that has paid off. The club have managed his fitness carefully, and in return, he’s delivered, not just with goals, but with the kind of intelligent centre-forward play that fits perfectly into Daniel Farke’s system.
However, he has struggled to solve one problem at Leeds, which has bugged them all season and stopped them from being higher in the table.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin makes an honest admission about Leeds United’s problem
Farke recently admitted that had Leeds been more secure at the back late in games, his side would have been fighting to qualify for European football.
Leeds conceded yet another late goal against Aston Villa, which stopped them from scoring a momentous away win at Villa Park last weekend.
Calvert-Lewin conceded that most top Premier League squads have depth that Leeds currently do not have, and they can bring on players who can change games.
He feels Leeds’ conceding late goals is down to the ruthlessly competitive nature of the top-flight teams.
Calvert-Lewin told BBC Radio Leeds: “The big clubs have very good squad depth, and they’ve got international players coming off the bench and affecting games.
“I think there’ve been moments in games for us where we’re on top, and teams make a change and the subs do what they’re expected to do and come on and change the game.
“Yeah, we’ve had frustrating moments, it’s not a case of us putting a foot wrong, I just think that the Premier League is the most competitive and ruthless league in the world so if you have one lapse in concentration, you can get punished and that’s arguably what’s happened to us a couple of times but against good opposition as well.”
Daniel Farke needs to find answers soon
Leeds are six points clear of the relegation zone, but that could be halved this weekend if results go against the Whites.
The Yorkshire giants look in a comfortable position in the table, but that could soon change, and then the late goals could really come back to haunt them.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 |  Leeds United |
27 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 37 | 46 | -9 | 31 |
| 16 |  Tottenham Hotspur |
27 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 37 | 41 | -4 | 29 |
| 17 |  Nottingham Forest |
27 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 25 | 39 | -14 | 27 |
| 18 |  West Ham United |
27 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 32 | 49 | -17 | 25 |
| 19 |  Burnley |
27 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 29 | 52 | -23 | 19 |
| 20 |  Wolverhampton Wanderers |
28 | 1 | 7 | 20 | 18 | 51 | -33 | 10 |
Farke chose to have a smaller and tighter squad, so he does not have many defensive options on the bench that could freshen things up later in the game.
However, the Leeds manager will need to find a way to stop leaking late goals to ensure that his side’s survival hopes do not get derailed late in the season.
