England are through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and it was a brilliant night at the office for Jordan Pickford.
The Three Lions came through a thrilling contest at the Azteca Stadium after kick-off was delayed to beat the tournament co-hosts 3-2.
Are you worried about what you’re seeing from Pickford? 🤔
Jude Bellingham grabbed a brace and Harry Kane also scored, but a second-half red card for Jarrell Quansah invited pressure.
But England stood strong, and Jordan Pickford played his part in a famous win.
And today, Andy Burnham dropped a verdict about the Everton stopper that many will share.
Andy Burnham speaks for many as Jordan Pickford shines for England
Pickford came into this game under big pressure.
Prior to the game with Mexico, he had not had the best of tournaments, with some even wondering whether his position could have been in jeopardy last night.
But Thomas Tuchel stuck with the man who has been so good for so long – and Pickford repaid that faith with a top performance in Mexico City.
The star made three saves, with two of these coming from Mexican chances inside the England area. He prevented -0.18xG.
Pickford also commanded his box well, punching the ball clear five times.
This morning, the man set to become the UK’s next Prime Minister and big Everton fan, Andy Burnham, took to X to drop the verdict that many will share: “Epic from England and Everton’s No1. 💙”
Pickford also came in for high praise from various national media outlets, which was great to see after he got a bit of a rough ride in the first few games.
‘Epic’ is undoubtedly the right word to use to describe the performance.
| Jordan Pickford vs Mexico |
| Minutes played – 90+ |
| Saves – 3 |
| Saves from shots inside the box – 2 |
| xG prevented – -0.18 |
| Punches – 5 |
| High claims – 1 |
| Pass accuracy – 19/34 (56%) |
| ‘Key’ passes – 1 |
Pickford has come in for a lot of stick lately, but to perform that well in such a high-pressure situation shows an extremely strong mentality.
Anthony Gordon stated after the game that it was one of the best games he’s seen him play. And the former Everton winger also said he felt ‘at ease’ every time a cross went into the England box.
He also added that Pickford had been ‘trustworthy’ for England for a long time and that he wasn’t all that surprised.
Pickford’s showing last night is a huge boost for England.
After a few iffy showings previously, that will now give him huge confidence – not that he will have doubted himself at any point.
But Pickford coming into form at this stage of the tournament is absolutely vital if football is to come home for the first time since 1966.
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