SLICK ’N DOM Two-goal Toffees ace right at home
DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN enjoyed a triumphant return to his home city to ease some of the pressure on Everton boss Marco Silva.
Calvert-Lewin scored twice in four first-half minutes to earn Silva a welcome victory after some fans had begun to question him because of the Toffees’ indifferent start.
The England Under-21 striker relished playing at Hillsborough having started at Sheffield United before joining Everton in 2016.
His double took his tally to eight in his last eight League Cup matches to answer his detractors who have criticised his lack of goals as a No.9.
Calvert-Lewin now has three for the season but his goalscoring feats will not blow away all the dark clouds which have gathered over Goodison.
Tougher tests lie ahead before a proper verdict can be delivered on Everton and Silva, not least Saturday’s home clash with Manchester City.
Owls boss Garry Monk made eight changes to Silva’s five and, after an early scare when Jordan Pickford denied Sam Winnall, Everton seized control as Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring in the sixth minute.
It was a big night for the Sheffieldborn hitman, playing against Wednesday for the first time with his old school just a five-minute drive from Hillsborough.
Tom Davies, who made his first start since February, won possession in a crunching tackle and the ball fell to Djibril Sidibe on the right.
He advanced unchallenged and found Calvert-Lewin with a crossfield ball, which he dispatched clinically off the underside of the bar.
Everton sliced Wednesday open again when Bernard played in Alex Iwobi on the left and he centred for Calvert-Lewin to bag his second.
Richarlison headed wide before Calvert-Lewin showed why some doubt him by nodding the ball straight at Cameron Dawson when he was unmarked at the back post.
In between, Dominic Iorfa headed wide in a fleeting show of resistance from Wednesday.
Monk gave Winnall an opportunity to impress but replaced him with Jordan Rhodes after the striker fluffed a hat-trick of chances.
The defeat was the first of Monk’s fledgling Owls career in his third game and he will have learned a lot, mostly negative, about his fringe players.
For Silva and Everton, question marks remain.