Everton's English goalkeeper #01 Jordan Pickford (R) prepares for the penalty kick to be taken by Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland (L) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Everton at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on December 26, 2024. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Jordan Pickford, the Everton goalkeeper, prepares to face Manchester City Erling Haaland's penalty (Image: DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Imagine not rating Jordan Pickford? At the end of Match of the Day last weekend the conversation turned to England’s number one after another clean sheet against another title challenger. Questions were once again raised about the 30-year-old's temperament and the ability of a player who has been pivotal to club and country across recent seasons.
No figure has been so key to breaking his national side’s penalty shootout curse as Pickford. And no star has done more on the pitch to protect Everton’s Premier League status during years of tumult and three consecutive survival battles.
Think of the save from Cesar Azpilicueta against Chelsea and the penalty stop against James Maddison - the former laying claim to the title of greatest save of the Premier League era and the latter arguably the most important of the Blues' modern history.
The stakes were not so high at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day and the antics as Erling Haaland stepped up to take his spot-kick - Pickford sticking his tongue out to distract the normally unflappable superstar - are part of the character that critics love to deride.
But the end result was the same as when he faced Manchester City’s Mauel Akanji for England against Switzerland in the summer, Maddison at the King Power Stadium two seasons ago, and Anthony Gordon at Goodison Park in the autumn: A Pickford save.
In the aftermath of this latest stop, Pickford pointed to his temple while those around him celebrated. His message was a call for calm and he needed that and a dose of courage seconds later when Haaland thundered towards him to meet a ball over the top but was thwarted by his nemesis once again.
Those dramatic moments were decisive to the outcome of this 1-1 draw. The hosts fought to find another way through in the 35 minutes that followed but were unable to penetrate a Everton Everton that have now taken points from Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City in consecutive matches.
And when the Blues burst forward in stoppage time, they had a chance of an unlikely away win as they outnumbered the opposition four to two. Jack Harrison hesitated as he entered the box, however, allowing Akanji to recover and block his effort.
This was still a superb point and Pickford was not the only hero. This game had felt lost when Bernardo Silva’s deflected effort bobbled beyond him in the 14th minute. Everton’s strength has been protecting results rather than chasing them and Sean Dyche’s Plan A appeared to be in tatters. For all that Man City have struggled in recent weeks, few have laboured in front of goal as unsuccessfully as the Blues.
The suspicion heading into this game had, for many Evertonians, been that this would be the game in which the reigning champions would click into gear and return to winning ways. That could have been the case had Silva not fired wide when Phil Foden played him into the box. Composure lost, he sliced wide with the outside of his boot and gave Everton a second chance that was quickly taken.
Iliman Ndiaye has shown glimpses of promise in his opening months at Goodison. He has magic at his feet but has been unable to solve his side’s attacking conundrum. There remains a sense that he has the ability to do so if the opportunities can be presented to him and he provided new evidence of that almost immediately after Silva’s miss.
For all that the midfielder should have doubled his side’s lead, their intensity waned after the opening goal and the visitors were given the chance to push higher up the pitch and see more of the ball. Few could blame the hosts for being complacent to Everton’s ability to pierce their defence but the naivety was exposed as the ball was shifted around the midfield and defence and space opened up on the right of the pitch.
Seamus Coleman seized the opportunity, bursting forward on a run that was picked out by James Tarkowski. Seldom have full-backs ventured so far under Dyche but Coleman broke the mould and carried his team into dangerous territory. The move gave the Blues the chance to get bodies up the pitch meaning that when Akanji deflected Abdoulaye Doucoure’s cross beyond Dominic Calvert-Lewin, for once he was not alone in the opposition box. Ndiaye controlled the ball with a touch of pureness before placing his half volley beyond Stefan Ortega.
Everton's Senegalese striker #10 Iliman Ndiaye (C) celebrates after scoring their first goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Everton at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on December 26, 2024. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Iliman Ndiaye celebrates after scoring Everton's equaliser against Manchester City (Image: DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
The Senegal international will rightly receive plaudits for a gorgeous finish but do not forget Coleman’s role. There would have been times this season when the 36-year-old, hampered by new injuries after a strong summer, wondered how many more chances he would get to surge into the final third and make a difference. Returning to action due to the suspension ofAshley Young, Coleman was an inspiration in both directions in Manchester.
The whole of the Etihad was stunned by the equaliser. The home end had gleefully been telling the visitors how bad they must be to be losing to them but, for all their recent turbulence, would not have anticipated a response from Dyche’s side. The away end certainly did not.
The break allowed Man City to regroup and they started the second half as they did the first - when Josko Gvardiol smashed the post with a header before Silva broke the deadlock. The threat came down Everton’s left as Savinho tormented Vitalii Mykolenko, luring him into the clumsy challenge that led referee Simon Hooper to point to the spot. But then it was Pickford’s time to shine once again.
Dyche has, understandably, not been shy when highlighting the defensive feats of his side in recent weeks. Yet for the improvements that yielded seven clean sheets in the 10 games entering this match, Pickford has been crucial. There was that save from Gordon under the lights against Newcastle United, the stops from Yoane Wissa and Keane Lewis-Potter against Brentford, in the last-minute to Danny Ings at West Ham United and from Bukayo Saka at Arsenal. Add this game to the list.
When Everton and England have needed Pickford he has always performed. For all the critics, the inflatable dinosaurs and the lazy claims based on his sometimes exaggerated character, he deserves greater respect than he gets beyond the Blue half of Merseyside. This was the latest example of why.