Garth Crooks selects Jordan Pickford in TOTW after Everton win v Arsenal
Garth Crooks has lauded Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, naming him in his Team of the Week for BBC Sport.
The Toffees’ shot-stopper pulled off a number of impressive saves in Everton’s win against Arsenal last week, with a notable late stop from Gabriel Martinelli particularly wowing.
The England international had been enjoying a small run of form prior to his recent injury but since his return he seems to have picked up where he left off.
Writing for BBC Sport, pundit Crooks was full of praise for the Everton goalkeeper following his performance at the Emirates.
On Pickford’s inclusion in his Team of the Week, Crooks wrote: “He’s not my favourite goalkeeper by any means but credit where credit’s due – he saved Everton against Arsenal.
“Two important saves by Pickford, the first from Dani Ceballos and the second from Gabriel Martinelli keeps Everton in the hunt for a Europa League place.
“Meanwhile, Pickford’s counterpart Bernd Leno had a shocker. It doesn’t matter how many saves you make in a match if you can’t save the one that matters.”
Deserved praise
Pickford received plenty of praise on social media following Everton’s win against Arsenal last weekend and it was absolutely deserved.
The England goalkeeper has been quietly impressing for some time now, despite the fact that his time as Everton’s undisputed first-choice seemed numbered not too long ago.
Robin Olsen has proven to be an able deputy who isn’t prone to making mistakes, but he simply doesn’t pull off the same number of incredible saves that Pickford is able to somehow summon within him when Everton need it most.
Pickford of course has ulterior motives behind his recent uptick in form, namely that he wants to secure his place in England’s squad ahead of the upcoming European Championships. That works for us, because Everton are set to benefit regardless of what his motivations are.
We just hope now that he is able to sustain this form, not just until the end of the season but also going forward into what will likely be a huge campaign for the Blues.
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