Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti was more than sufficiently impressed with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s defensive duties over the striker’s goal in his team’s 2-1 win at Leeds and singled him out for special mention.
Calvert-Lewin’s first goal in eight Premier League games handed Everton a 2-0 half-time lead after captain Gylfi Sigurdsson had opened the scoring in the ninth minute.
It was Calvert-Lewin’s 12th Premier League goal of the season and despite Leed’s Raphinha valiantly reducing the deficit soon after half-time, Ancelotti’s side defended persistently to register a fourth successive away league win.
‘I think in my opinion it was more important the work that he (Calvert-Lewin) did with Sigurdsson defensively,’ Ancelotti said.
‘We needed this kind of work from our strikers, Richarlison included, (Alex) Iwobi, and after that they scored two fantastic goals.
‘I’m pleased for this, but more for the work that they did defensively.’
It was in 1985 in the top flight that Everton last won four straight games on the road and this victory at Elland Road was their seventh away from home this season.
‘This is a result of this season,’ said Ancelotti. ‘All the teams have more possibility to win away because there is no crowd there in the stand.
‘This is the reason. We have a really fantastic run away. Of course, we have to be focused more at home because we’ve lost a lot of games at home.’
The end-to-end encounter saw Everton riding their luck at times and were indebted to goalkeeper Robin Olsen who was deputising for the injured Jordan Pickford, with the Sweden international making two crucial first-half saves to deny Raphinha and Pascal Struijk and three in quick succession in the second half to keep out marauding efforts from Mateusz Klich, Raphinha and Jack Harrison.
‘He made some super saves,’ added Ancelotti, who said he hoped Pickford could recover from a rib injury in time for Saturday’s oncoming trip to Old Trafford.
‘We knew it was difficult. We won the game because we defended well. This is quite clear. Olsen had a big part in this game. Agreed.’