Danny Murphy wowed by ‘magnificent’ Jordan Pickford as he watches Everton footage in loss v Aston Villa
Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy has waxed lyrical about the “magnificent” save Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford pulled off in the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Goodison Park.
The Toffees performed admirably in defeat on Saturday (25 February) – Sean Dyche’s second in four games since arriving as manager – but lacked the cutting edge in the final third to land any serious blows on Emi Martinez’s goal.
Pickford, who signed a new long-term contract with the club earlier this week, was at his best once again to deny Villa on numerous occasions, and one save, in particular, caught Murphy’s eye when he was analysing the game on Match of the Day (Sunday, 26 February, 1:06:13).
When a cross was floated into the box, which Ollie Watkins met with a powerful header from six yards out, the ball was destined for the net before the England number one flung himself to paw the ball wide of the left post.
Murphy said: “Great feet again here [Jacob Ramsey], this time the full-back [Seamus Coleman] goes in to try and follow him because their outnumbered, which leaves a space which Digne utilises.
“Brilliant cross, and this is the save that Watkins was talking about.
“Magnificent from Pickford.”
Class
The business from Everton earlier this week will continue to look better and better if Pickford continues to pull off saves such as this. After denying Watkins with another smart save in the first half, this eye-catching stop was right out of the Pickford playbook.
Although the Toffees keeper has his critics due to the number of mistakes he makes, he more than makes up for it with saves such as this. Last season the 28-year-old was pivotal in Everton’s fight to stay in the Premier League, and you can’t help but feel he will be needed again to help navigate the club to safety.
In this case, Pickford’s heroics weren’t enough to lead the Toffees to victory, but on another day, he would have scooped up the man of the match award for the string of saves he pulled off. Hopefully, his new contract has provided him with a much-needed confidence boost to continue this fine form.