After his stunning stop from Sandro Tonali in Everton's 3-2 win at Newcastle United on Saturday, an examination of how Jordan Pickford does it - in his own words
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reacts after his stunning save from Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reacts after his stunning save from Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali(Image: Will Palmer/Everton FC)
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Jordan Pickford added another world-class save to his stunning back catalogue with that extraordinary stop from Sandro Tonali in stoppage-time against Newcastle United on Saturday.
To witness it in person was a privilege but the Everton and England No.1 making me gasp from the press box is nothing new - which goes a long way towards explaining why he has fought off the competition for his international spot so successfully over the years.
It was quite fitting that Pickford should showcase his prowess at Newcastle - St James’ Park has become a graveyard for his challengers.
The calls for Nick Pope or Aaron Ramsdale, who were both in the home squad on Saturday, to replace him for England are now as extinct as the dinosaur suits Magpies fans no longer wear for fear they goad even better displays from the 31-year-old.
Pickford may even have afforded himself a rueful smile had he been in the post-match press conference. It was dominated by reporters asking David Moyes and Eddie Howe about Pickford’s brilliance and ended with a north-east based journalist asking the Newcastle manager whether he had faith in the options he has between the sticks.
Pickford was too busy taking plaudits in the dressing room and online at that point and, in fairness, he has always pitched the England battle as one he sees as his to lose so long as he keeps getting better - I do not think he would take any real pleasure from watching Pope spill Dwight McNeil’s effort into the path of Beto for Everton’s second on Saturday.
I have had the pleasure of sitting down with Pickford three or four times at Finch Farm and did so again earlier this month with a few other reporters.
During that chat he broke down his thought process around the improbable save he made from Joshua Zirkzee in the Blues' win at Manchester United - the stop that was probably the Premier League’s save of the season before the 94th minute on Saturday when he left Tonali on his knees and players on both sides open-mouthed.
I have, also, previously discussed the Cesar Azpilicueta save against Chelsea at Goodison Park in detail with him.
Here are those saves, explained by the man who made them...
State-of-play: It is the 80th minute at Old Trafford and Everton are holding on to the 1-0 lead given to them by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the first half. They have been playing with 10 men for over an hour following the red card shown to Idrissa Gueye but are closing on an historic win.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 24: Jordan Pickford of Everton saves from a Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United header during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford on November 24, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Jordan Pickford produces an incredible save to deny Joshua Zirkzee in Everton's heroic 1-0 win at Manchester United in November(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Pickford: "No matter if we’ve only got 10 men or not, if you’re winning, you know they’re going to have moments as the game goes on. Looking at that [the picture below] we are dropping into an eight and one instead of a 4-4-2.. But you’re going to drop into a lower block, defend your box more, so when the pressure’s coming, you’re going to have to pull out a save, maybe one, two, three, four it doesn’t matter how many, you’re going to have to be there and be called upon.
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"(Once Luke Shaw collects the ball) in that situation you read the body language of Luke, or of any player, so you’re reading the body language, so you’re in a position to be, it’s more of a box-cross position, so from there I wouldn’t expect him to shoot, so I’m in a position where I (am thinking) can I come and claim a cross or can I not? So the delivery from Luke makes your mind up, because if the ball’s floating, it’s your ball, because the delivery is your cue of going to make that decision. I know I couldn’t get there, it’s a great ball.
"That’s a cue really, the delivery - when it leaves his foot, that’s when you make your decision: ‘I can go, I’ve got to go, or I’ve got to stay at home’.
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"(After the ball is delivered) I probably initially started a yard too high, because I went forward, then I took two steps back. Every keeper’s different, but if I can’t come and deal with it, because I know I’m agile and I’m fast across my goal, I’ll try and revert back, then on impact, I’ve probably just about got myself set enough.
"It’s all about trying to get set on impact, so even if you’re out of position, try and be set on impact, because that’s where a lot of goals go in, when you’re not as set on impact, sometimes you can’t be set, but I’ve managed to get myself set, then it’s about my step, my push, my fly.
"I probably was a little bit late on setting on impact, because I was probably a yard too high initially, so if I started a yard lower, I’d have been set a split second earlier to get myself set to go to fly, so I’m probably not set there, but then I’ve balanced off to get my push, to get my big step in on my rise to fully extend. So it’s like, in that moment I’m not processing it, that’s too fast in my head, but that just comes naturally.
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"Something we’ll probably do is, not re-enact that save on Saturday, but I’m assuming Luc’s (goalkeeper) coach David Lucas) will put a session before the game where it’ll be a crossing position, a cross coming in, there’ll be mannequins, but then there’ll be a couple of players like Travs (Mark Travers) and Kingy (Tom King). For example, Travs might be middle of the goal, Kingy might be back post, so if I can’t come for it, then they’re alive on that action, so it’s not just a cross and it just goes through to me - if I don’t shout ‘keepers’ and I can’t get there, we’re working on that.
"Then it is probably my natural agility and my power to make that save. The power to push off, that’s just gym work and just co-ordination and agility really. Then it is about your hand position. On impact my hands are in front of me, so then I dive my and hand becomes there, so I get the elevation.
"To be fair, it was a worldie. I’ll give myself that one. You half know where you’re on the goal, and because I know I’m there, I’m just praying because when I’ve touched it, the next action’s like, please see that’s going around the post."
Save of the the Premier League era?
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford somehow saves from Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford somehow saves from Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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Frank Lampard named Pickford’s stop from Cesar Azpilicueta as the greatest of the Premier League era. It was also one of the most important in Everton’s history.
Without Pickford’s stunning stop, the Blues would not have won against Chelsea in that feel-good win that followed the first of the Goodison Park player welcomes. There were still several games to go when Richarlison’s winner provided a spark for the club's survival bid but without this, do you get these three points, the win at Leicester City the following week and everything else that flows from it?
This was Pickford talking about that stop, which came after Mason Mount’s strike hit the inside of the far post and left him sprawled on the ground as the ball spun towards Azpilicueta on the other side of the box…
Was it instinctive to run behind the goal line or a considered move?
Pickford: "When I landed off Mason's shot and come back round to Azpilicueta, as I have started to get three or four (steps_ across the far side of the goal I knew his shot was coming so I have scrambled again, I have had to just re-adjust at that last second to make that save because I knew if I went that way - where you would have thought I might have went - I knew I would have been dead in the water really. I think it would have been a goal because it would have been quite hard to stop my momentum but I have used my footwork to change my momentum to make that save."
Do you prefer instinctive or intelligent saves?
Pickford: "Anything, that's what I am there for. Any that I get in the way of. The Antonio Rudiger one )he saved from the defender from the corner that followed his stop from Azpilicueta), I don't know if I can remember it, it was that hard. I've still got a headache off it now. For me, goalkeeping, that's what goalkeeping is all about, getting in the way of the ball. As we always say - you always do technical work day in day out, but the main thing is stopping the ball from going into the net as best as you can and however that comes across is vital for the team."