Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Can Everton striker emulate Filippo Inzaghi for Carlo Ancelotti?

When Carlo Ancelotti was manager of AC Milan he possessed in his squad one of the best finishers in football - Filippo Inzaghi.

"I had a fantastic striker in Inzaghi, who scored 300 goals and 210 with one touch," said the Italian.

"A striker has to be focused in the box and I think Calvert-Lewin understands really well because in the box he has speed, he jumps really high, he has power.

"Where he has improved more is there, in the box."

Everton's fox in the box

None of Calvert-Lewin's three goals against Everton were what you would describe as fantastic strikes.

His first was a clever backheel, his second a close-range finish and his third a header from a corner.

As Ancelotti pointed out, though, all three came from inside the box.

"Carlo Ancelotti is on me every day for first-touch finishes and to be in the box, in the right areas," Calvert-Lewin said.

"It's nice to know what I'm working on in training is coming off on the pitch."

Calvert-Lewin now has four goals this season, making him the top scorer in the Premier League in these very early stages of the season.

His first of the campaign - a bullet header to secure a 1-0 win against Tottenham last week - was also from inside the box, highlighting just how much of a deadly presence he is becoming from inside 18 yards.

BBC Radio 5 live pundit Pat Nevin believes the 23-year-old is heading in the right direction if he wants to emulate the career of Inzaghi.

"He's got a lot of goals to score to catch up with Inzaghi, who they always said was born offside, always right on the line," the former Chelsea winger said.

"But that's one of the things Calver-Lewin is learning, those clever things. No-one asked Inzaghi how many brilliant goals he scored and those close finishes are what Calvert-Lewin is adding to his game."

Can Calvert-Lewin keep it up?

Since his Everton debut in December 2016, Calvert-Lewin has scored 36 goals in all competitions, seven more than any other player for the Toffees.

However, prior to last season he had never reached double figures in a Premier League season, scoring four and then six in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Since the arrival of Ancelotti in December last year he has flourished, scoring eight goals to finish last season with 13, backing it up with his flying start to the current campaign.

It could be a good run of form, but with the added talents of James Rodriguez creating chances - the Colombian was involved in two of Calvert-Lewin's three goals against West Brom - there is every chance he could be in for his most prolific season yet.

"He is still young but has developed really well," added Ancelotti.

"The combination up front was good and they had support from James who is doing really well in this period."