Jaw-dropper by Jordan was genius
JORDAN PICKFORD’S double save against Chelsea was an incredible feat, but given Everton’s precarious position it was even more important.
As a goalkeeper, there is no more jarring sound than a ball hitting a post. It’s like being administered a shot of hope and adrenalin. Once Pickford was beaten by Mason Mount’s volleyed effort, he is on full red alert.
You don’t always get a sense of where the ball is after it rebounds off the post but this is crucial to allow Pickford to make the save. Rather than just putting it down to ‘instinct’ or the result of years of practice, he’s relying on his senses.
He either catches sight of the ball in his peripheral vision or he hears the sound of the ball behind him and immediately makes a beeline back across goal the moment he lands from his dive.
The next phase of the save is down to Pickford’s intelligence and goalkeeping know-how. Many in this situation end up tangled in the net, along with the ball, as their momentum carries them there in the bid to get to the other side of the goal. What Pickford does is genius in its simplicity. He runs behind the line so that when he has to make the save, his body is moving forward down the line of the shot to keep the ball out in front of the goal line.
Keeping composure when you’ve just made a big save can be difficult, but from the resultant corner, Pickford manages to do so, closing down the space as the ball drops to Antonio Rudiger at the far post.
Again, his decision-making and execution is perfect. And while the first save will have wowed everyone, the second one is strangely, more satisfying.