Safe hands Pickford can help Toffees out of sticky situation

Jordan Pickford has a key role to play in Everton's survival bid.

Despite last Saturday's 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, the Toffees reside in the bottom three going into tonight's game against Newcastle due to their 10-point deduction for breaching financial rules.

But with England No1 Pickford between the sticks and marshalling the defence, boss Sean Dyche will feel confident of a move out of the relegation zone in the near future.

Ahead of this evening's match at Goodison Park, we take a look at the goalkeeper's importance to Everton.

Promising start

Pickford's commanding performances towards the end of the last campaign proved pivotal to Everton's stay in the top flight.

The 29-year-old has quietly gone about his business this term, with recent headlines primarily focusing on international team-mate Aaron Ramsdale who has fallen out of favour at Arsenal.

Pickford has kept three clean sheets this term and has yet to concede from a shot outside the box.

And the ex-Sunderland stopper continues to show the value of his footwork, completing the most passes into the final third of any goalkeeper in the division (52) and the second-most long passes (138).

His ability to find a team-mate from distance is tailor-made for Dyche's direct style of football, which is beginning to prove effective on Merseyside.

Togetherness

Pickford is also evidently benefitting from an increased level of defensive cohesion at Everton, with James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite forging a strong centre-back partnership.

The goalie has only been forced into making 33 saves, which places him 14th in the Premier League rankings — behind Liverpool ace Alisson Becker (44).

After the win over Forest, Pickford said: "In previous years, I don't think we come away with three points. We've turned a corner and are moving forward as a team.

"We've got that togetherness, which is growing each and every day. 

"We're working hard on the training pitch and the manager is setting us up with a game plan that we need to execute."

International assurance

With Ramsdale warming the Arsenal bench and Newcastle's Nick Pope set to miss four months of action with a shoulder injury, Pickford can rest easy about his spot at Euro 2024.

The Everton stopper has 58 England caps to his name since debuting in November 2017 and his role as Gareth Southgate's No1 has perhaps never been more secure with a major tournament on the horizon.

And such a level of assurance will likely only assist him in a continuing bid to cement his status as one of the Premier League's most reliable keepers.

Dyche said in September: "He knows his way around the Premier League and international scene and is a very good keeper, as we all know.

"Keepers and centre-halves are the ones who mature the latest in football and get better and better. 

"You learn to read the game, be professional, the standard and training. The longer you play, the wiser they get."

A solid performance against Newcastle would be the perfect start to a frenetic festive period.