Benitez hoping Calvert-Lewin can help spark an Everton revival
Everton manager Rafael Benitez is pinning his hopes on a fit Dominic Calvert-Lewin and new January signings turning things around at Goodison Park.
The England international made his long-awaited comeback after more than four months out with a thigh injury in the 3-2 defeat at home to Brighton, prior to which new £17million left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko was introduced to fans.
Everton are also understood to be closing in on the £10million signing of Rangers right-back Nathan Patterson as Benitez looks to revamp a defence which has conceded thefirstgoalin14of18Premier League matches this season.
The match against Brighton was only the eighth time Benitez’ssidehadscoredmore than once in the league: five of those occasions came in their opening six matches and Calvert-Lewin scored in the first three before his injury.
Suchwastheirdireposition againsttheSeagullsthestriker played 90 minutes, which was notpartofthepre-matchplan, but now the 24-year-old is up and running again his underpressuremanagerisdesperate forhimtostartscoringafterhe missedapenaltyonhisreturn.
“Hopefully Dominic coming back will give a little bit more hope to everyone,” said the Spaniard, who is also missingRicharlisonfromaninjuryhit side which has lost eight of the last 12.
“Andifwearebringingplayersback,andsigningnewplayers,itwillbringthisdesirethat everyone is expecting.”
Onepositivefromthegame was the performance of Anthony Gordon, the 20-yearold academy graduate who has benefited from absences to get more chances in the first team and enjoyed his best day in a blue shirt with both goals against Brighton.
“Hehastherightmentality,” said Benitez.
“He was a talented player who maybe needed to work harder and he is doing that. I am really pleased because he is growing.”
Gordon has already played more matches for Everton this season than in the four previous campaigns since making his debut in 2017, and scoring his first goals for the club was a personal high.
“A bittersweet day. While I was buzzing to score, at the sametimeI’mdevastated(with the result),” he said.
“For my goals, I was just being direct. I’ve been not so good at that in the past and I’m trying to get better in that aspect–beingdirectandcausing problems.Ithinkthatshowed.”