Jordan Pickford had a rather mixed afternoon as Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton sealed a nervy Premier League win at Goodison Park.
Jordan Pickford had a rather mixed afternoon during Everton’s 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday and even Eagles boss Roy Hodgson was left a little confused by one of the Premier League’s most erratic talents, speaking to BT Sport (8 February, 2pm).
How on earth to judge this former Sunderland shot-stopper?
On his day, there are few better than England’s number one, the hero of that barnstorming run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018. Pickford at club level is a different beast entirely however – a far more vulnerable one at that.
And Everton’s clash with Palace this weekend summed up everything good and bad about the Sunderland academy graduate. Pickford’s horrific error gifted Christian Benteke a first goal in 18 league games, a mistake the man himself described as ‘disgusting’.
But, later in the same half, the 25-year-old redeemed himself with a brilliant ‘starfish stop’ that even Peter Schmeichel would have been proud off, denying a re-energised Benteke his second of the afternoon from point-blank range.
“Strangely enough, there was a goal that a goalkeeper should have saved and one that the goalkeeper should have had no chance of saving,” Hodgson said of a man who continues to divide fans and pundits alike.
“He produces a wonder save (for the second Benteke effort).”
Pickford remains Gareth Southgate’s go-to goalkeeper heading into England’s Euro 2020 campaign but he will know better than anyone that he cannot afford to let his standards slip.
Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale and Dean Henderson are all enjoying fine campaigns elsewhere in the Premier League, comfortably outshining Everton’s number one over the last few months.
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