'Unplayable' & 'almost perfect' - Calvert-Lewin set for England recall?

Newcastle United must be sick of the sight of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Leeds United striker has now scored eight times against the club he was previously linked with in years gone by.

So you suspect the beleaguered visitors will have been a little relieved to see him substituted late on after he had a hand in two of Leeds' goals in this impressive 4-1 win.

Elland Road was unsurprisingly on its feet to hand Calvert-Lewin a deserved standing ovation when he came off.

On a night Leeds fans repeatedly taunted Newcastle for spending "all that money" with little return on Monday night, at least, it was a free transfer who caused the visitors real problems with a goal and an assist.

So is the 29-year-old making a case for an England recall?

Leeds manager Daniel Farke certainly thinks so as he threw his weight behind Calvert-Lewin and a number of others in his side with "English passports".

"He's a handful and tough for each and every defender," he 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 been in England head coach Thomas Tuchel's thoughts in recent months.

The striker was previously called up by his country back in March after catching the eye in his debut season at Leeds.

However, after featuring for England against Uruguay during that particular international window, the striker ultimately missed out on the World Cup in the summer.

Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins instead travelled as captain Harry Kane's deputies.

At a time when the marginally older pair are both playing in Saudi Arabia, Calvert-Lewin is staking his claim with his performances closer to home in this country.

He has scored three goals in his past four games as the Premier League's leading English striker - just as Tuchel prepares to name his squad on Friday for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Spain and the Czech Republic.

He is also just the second Leeds player to score in five consecutive Premier League appearances at Elland Road after Mark Viduka between March and August 2003.

Such was Calvert-Lewin's hunger, he looked dumbfounded after learning his header for Leeds' second against Newcastle had been awarded to team-mate Jayden Bogle after it took a final touch off his team-mate.

Former England defender Jamie Carragher was among those watching on impressed following his "almost perfect" display.

"Maybe sometimes composure has let him down in his career, but not here," he told Sky Sports about the former Everton striker. "He was unplayable.

"It was right for him and Everton to make a fresh start. As an Evertonian you are probably thinking why didn't we keep him.

"Sometimes a move rejuvenates a player. He is the type of player you think as an ex-centre-back, I am glad I am not playing now."

No side will relish coming up against Calvert-Lewin and this aggressive Leeds outfit at Elland Road this season.

In fact, only Arsenal (52), Manchester City (50), Manchester United (45) and Bournemouth (37) have won more Premier League points in 2026 than Leeds United (35), with the Whites suffering just a single defeat across their past 13 league matches.

Yet Newcastle's implosion was remarkable as a young team were bullied and outfought.

Newcastle had previously made a good start under head coach Matthias Jaissle, following so much change in the summer, and were unbeaten in their opening five games in all competitions before this reality check.

But they have faced more shots than any other side in the Premier League.

However clinical Newcastle were in the opening weeks of the campaign, they mustered just eight efforts on target against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth before their trip to Elland Road.

That was a dangerous cocktail going into this game.

What was most galling, though, was the visitors' failure to match Leeds' bite at a raucous Elland Road.

Jaissle's side crumbled and conceded three goals in a chastening 14-minute period in the first half.

It was a night the German manager swore in his post-match news conference to illustrate how low he felt.

"I don't want to point fingers and point any players out tonight," he said. "We were not matching as a team the level of intensity, the level of duel behaviours, the level of physicality.

"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."

For Calvert-Lewin and Leeds, however, this was a night to remember.