Dominic Calvert-Lewin, after scoring his 50th goal for Everton in their 1-0 victory over West Ham United in the Premier League, downplayed the discussion surrounding the potential points deduction for Everton and shared that his teammates have not been focused on this threat.
Despite all the pre-game talk being dominated by reports suggesting a 12-point deduction if Everton is found guilty of breaching financial fair play rules, Calvert-Lewin, like his manager, emphasized that the players are concentrating on what they can control and not getting weighed down by off-field distractions.
He stated, “As professionals, we can’t influence what happens beyond our control. We concentrate on playing throughout the week and don’t let it bother us. The manager bears that burden for us and conveys the message that we will block it out. I can honestly say it hasn’t affected us this week. It was about setting things right this weekend and winning the game. Personally, I wouldn’t say it’s been a significant challenge, and I believe I speak for many of the lads.”
This match was Everton’s first since the unfortunate passing of Bill Kenwright at the age of 78, and Calvert-Lewin dedicated the victory to the late club chairman. He expressed, “We knew what we wanted to do, and that was to win the game for Bill. The way we did it, he would have been extremely proud. That was the main goal. He was always there for me. I joined as a young boy, and he was always warm and welcoming. He would message me when I achieved significant milestones, wishing me well in his own way, and that always made me very proud to be at this club. I believe I would have received a message from him today. It’s both a happy and sad moment, but we’re all thinking of his family once again.”
Calvert-Lewin’s goal marked his 50th Premier League goal for Everton, a significant milestone that puts him in the company of Romelu Lukaku, Duncan Ferguson, and Tim Cahill as players who have reached the half-century mark for the club. He expressed his joy about reaching this landmark, saying, “It means everything to me. I love playing football and scoring goals. It’s the best feeling in the world, so I’m happy to have strung together consecutive games and am working on my match sharpness. The most crucial thing for me now is consistency because when I play, I consistently score goals. People are aware of my abilities as a player, and I’m delighted to be contributing once more.”
Regarding the message from Everton’s manager, Sean Dyche, before the game, Calvert-Lewin revealed, “It was to put pressure on them. We knew they might be a bit fatigued, and we probably didn’t do that enough in the first half. In the second half, we did, created more chances, and scored the goal.”
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