Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his remarkable record against Newcastle United, contributing a goal and an assist as Leeds United thumped the Magpies 4-1 at Elland Road on Monday night, further boosting his hopes of an England recall.
The 29-year-old striker, who joined Leeds on a free transfer after leaving Everton, has now netted eight times against Newcastle across his career. His influence on this latest victory was unmistakable, and he received a standing ovation from the home crowd when he was withdrawn late in the contest. Leeds supporters also used the occasion to remind Newcastle of their heavy summer spending, pointing out that a free signing had done more damage than the club's expensive recruits.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke was quick to champion Calvert-Lewin's case for an England return, praising both his physical presence and his broader contribution to the team's attacking play. "He's a handful and tough for each and every defender," Farke said. "He's difficult to play against. He's at a top fitness level. You can see he plays with confidence and a good rhythm, but also benefits from a really strong team and players who work for him. Dominic is a crucial player and if he shows this type of form, he's definitely one of the best strikers in this league. It's the best league in the world and that more or less sums up what I think about him as a player."
Calvert-Lewin has featured in Thomas Tuchel's plans before, earning a call-up in March following a strong start to life at Elland Road. He appeared against Uruguay during that window but was ultimately left out of the World Cup squad, with Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins preferred as back-up options to captain Harry Kane. With both of those players now based in Saudi Arabia, Calvert-Lewin's continued form in the Premier League gives him a strong case as Tuchel prepares to announce his squad on Friday for Nations League matches against Spain and the Czech Republic.
The striker has scored three times in his last four appearances and remains the leading English scorer in the Premier League this season. He also became just the second Leeds player, after Mark Viduka in 2003, to score in five consecutive home league matches. Notably, what would have been his second goal of the night was instead credited to teammate Jayden Bogle after a deflection, leaving Calvert-Lewin visibly frustrated despite the win.
Former England defender Jamie Carragher praised the striker's overall display, calling him "unplayable" and "almost perfect" on Sky Sports. Carragher suggested that a fresh start away from Everton had reinvigorated Calvert-Lewin's career, adding that as a former centre-back, he was relieved not to be facing him in his current form.
Leeds' victory continued an excellent run of form that has seen them accumulate 35 Premier League points in 2026, a tally bettered only by Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Bournemouth. The Whites have lost just once in their last 13 league matches.
For Newcastle, the defeat marked a sharp reality check after an unbeaten start to the season under new head coach Matthias Jaissle. The visitors conceded three goals within a chaotic 14-minute spell in the first half and have now faced more shots than any other Premier League side this campaign. Jaissle did not hide his disappointment afterward. "We were not matching as a team the level of intensity, the level of duel behaviours, the level of physicality," he said. "This is something we need to bring on the pitch in every match. This is non-negotiable. It should be the basic fundamentals of football. These are young lads. The learning curve needs to be fast."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.