BT Sport pundit wowed by what Jordan Pickford did for Everton v Newcastle United
BT Sport pundit Lucy Ward has praised the distribution of Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the first half of the Premier League clash against Newcastle United.
The England goalkeeper displayed the quality he possesses with his feet as he quickly dispatched the ball forward for the Toffees, nearly finding Alex Iwobi.
Despite a positive start, the Toffees went back into the dressing room at half-time with a 0-1 deficit, and that continued in the second half with Newcastle pushing on for all three points in a 4-1 drubbing.
Ward was very impressed with the technique shown by the Everton keeper, something he has a reputation for with club and country throughout his career.
“Unbelievable with his feet,” she said. “He almost cut the ball to Iwobi then.” [20:16, BT Sport 2]
Just moments later, Pickford was helpless as Callum Wilson took full advantage of a loose ball to find the back of the net and silence the crowd momentarily.
All to do
The uphill struggle continues for Sean Dyche’s side.
He will need to rally his men for a comeback to ensure that they take something from the game. The game started brightly for the Toffees with plenty of intensity and effort on display.
Following the passionate scenes outside the stadium as the squad arrived, the high-tempo feeling continued beyond kick-off as the Blues started with purpose and plenty of endeavour that would have pleased the manager, although it didn’t last long.
Despite some attacking moments, an elusive clear-cut chance did not happen prior to the strike from Wilson, which had a deflating effect on the capacity crowd inside Goodison.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin had the ball in the net, in added-on time but a VAR check confirmed that he was offside, as expected. Newcastle took a while to get into the game but instantly looked more assured once their lead was established.
More than ever, Everton have it all to do in the Premier League and Pickford will be key to that.
In other Everton news, a journalist has shared what Toffees fans did to Anthony Gordon as he stepped out for Newcastle at Goodison Park