Leeds United’s remarkable end to 2025 has been defined by one man: Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Once again, the Whites’ number nine delivered when his side needed him most, extending an extraordinary run of goalscoring form and reinforcing his growing importance to Daniel Farke’s Premier League survival push. As Leeds ground out another valuable result against Sunderland to make it five games unbeaten, Calvert-Lewin’s latest strike ensured the momentum continues heading into the new year.
Former Leeds hero Michael Bridges summed up the moment perfectly, describing the equaliser as “magic” — not just for the quality of the move, but for what it represented. A team growing in belief. A striker playing with confidence. And a club beginning to feel that it belongs back among England’s elite.
Another decisive moment from Leeds’ talisman
Leeds were made to work hard against Sunderland, a side well-drilled and difficult to break down. The opening exchanges were scrappy, with Leeds struggling to impose their rhythm and Sunderland pressing aggressively. Yet, as has been the case repeatedly in recent weeks, Leeds never panicked.
When the moment arrived, Calvert-Lewin was exactly where a centre-forward should be.
The move itself was a thing of beauty — quick, incisive passing, intelligent movement, and composure in the final third. Calvert-Lewin’s finish was not spectacular, but it did not need to be. It was instinctive, ruthless, and perfectly executed — the hallmark of a striker in peak form.
That goal stretched his goalscoring run to six consecutive Premier League games, a milestone that places him firmly in Leeds United folklore. Not since the late 1950s has a Leeds player achieved such consistency in front of goal at the top level, underlining the scale of Calvert-Lewin’s achievement.
From adaptation to acceleration
Calvert-Lewin’s journey this season has not been straightforward. Early in the campaign, he appeared to be adjusting — to a new tactical setup, new teammates, and the relentless demands of leading the line in a side fighting for survival. Goals were not flowing freely at first, and questions were quietly asked about whether Leeds could rely on him as their primary source of firepower.
Those doubts have now been emphatically answered.
Over the past two months, Calvert-Lewin has transformed into the focal point of Leeds’ attack. His movement has become sharper, his hold-up play more effective, and his finishing more clinical. Just as importantly, the players around him have learned how to maximise his strengths — delivering earlier crosses, finding him between defenders, and trusting his instincts inside the box.
The result has been a striker operating with freedom, confidence, and a clear sense of purpose.
“Everything feels fluid” — striker brimming with belief
Speaking to Sky Sports after the Sunderland match, Calvert-Lewin reflected on his historic achievement and the team’s growing cohesion.
“It’s just nice,” he said. “Everything feels quite fluid at the moment. I’m getting in the right areas and people are finding me.
“I think it’s taken a little bit of time for maybe players around me to learn my game and what I’m good at. But I like to think when I get service, and the ball comes to me, I’m lethal in the box.”
Those words capture the essence of Calvert-Lewin’s resurgence. He is not forcing chances. He is not chasing the game. Instead, he is trusting the system, trusting his teammates, and trusting his own ability — a combination that often separates good strikers from truly dangerous ones.
Yet, despite the growing spotlight, Calvert-Lewin was quick to deflect attention away from himself.
“It’s nice to achieve things on a personal level,” he added, “but for me, the more pleasing thing is the performances we’ve been putting in as a team and the results that we’ve been getting.
“I think the first half we were slow to get out of the blocks and made it hard for ourselves, but in the second half we were much, much better. That’s what makes me proud.”
Leeds’ collective progress under Farke
Calvert-Lewin’s form cannot be viewed in isolation. It is a reflection of Leeds United’s broader improvement under Daniel Farke.
The German coach has gradually instilled structure, discipline, and belief into a squad that has often been caught between styles in recent seasons. Leeds are now harder to beat, more patient in possession, and increasingly dangerous in transition.
Five games unbeaten may not sound spectacular in isolation, but for a newly-promoted side balancing ambition with survival, it represents significant progress. Each point gained adds confidence, reduces pressure, and allows the team to play with greater freedom.
Crucially, Leeds are no longer overly reliant on moments of chaos or individual brilliance. Instead, they are building sustained pressure — and when they do, Calvert-Lewin is almost always at the centre of it.
January window and survival implications
As the January transfer window approaches, Leeds’ improving form could not have come at a better time. The club remains constrained by Profit and Sustainability Rules, limiting the scope for major investment. As a result, internal solutions have become even more important.
Having a striker in red-hot form changes the entire outlook of a survival battle.
Goals turn draws into wins. Confidence spreads through the squad. Belief replaces fear. Calvert-Lewin’s run has already delivered valuable points — and if it continues, it could prove decisive in keeping Leeds in the Premier League.
Chasing history: Vardy comparisons grow louder
Statistically, Calvert-Lewin’s streak is already remarkable. According to Opta, he is now enjoying the longest goalscoring run by an English striker in the Premier League since Jamie Vardy netted in eight consecutive games for Leicester City in 2018.
The parallels are unavoidable.
Vardy’s relentless scoring streaks defined Leicester’s rise from relegation candidates to title winners, and his name is etched into Premier League history for his record-breaking 11-game scoring run during the 2015 title-winning season.
Calvert-Lewin has already passed the halfway mark of that iconic record — a milestone few would have predicted earlier in the campaign.
Matching Vardy’s 2018 run of eight consecutive games would be a monumental achievement in itself. Doing so while playing for a side battling near the foot of the table would only amplify the significance.
England recall firmly on the agenda
With Thomas Tuchel now at the helm of England, Calvert-Lewin’s form is once again impossible to ignore. The striker has previously been part of the national setup, but injuries and inconsistency have disrupted his international trajectory.
Now, he looks revitalised.
Strong, sharp, confident, and decisive — Calvert-Lewin is ticking all the boxes. If he continues scoring into the new year, the calls for his return to the England squad will only grow louder.
For now, however, personal ambitions remain secondary.
Calvert-Lewin’s message is clear: keep scoring, keep Leeds moving forward, and let everything else take care of itself.
As 2026 approaches, Leeds United find themselves with renewed belief — and a striker playing the football of his life. If this run continues, the Whites’ survival story may yet have a heroic ending written all over it.