Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole has unleashed a scathing critique of Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford following the teams' clash at Hill Dixon Stadium, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the visitors.
Cole highlighted a significant blunder from the England shot-stopper during the lead-up to Pedro Neto's second goal, scored in the 90th minute. Neto capitalised on a fortunate bounce after a free-kick, slotting the ball into an empty net, much to Pickford's embarrassment.
"Look at Pickford’s positioning, he looks to be caught sleeping. The only explanation is that he thought the ball was going out for a corner; there’s really no reason to be so far off his line," Cole critiqued.
"Pedro Neto must have felt like he’d hit the jackpot. When a stationary ball drops in the box with an open goal in front of you? That’s a gift you rarely get in football," he added.
However, Cole was also quick to credit Chelsea for their defensive masterclass, noting that Everton had little opportunity to threaten throughout the match. "Chelsea defended brilliantly today, Everton had barely a couple of half-chances, and Chelsea fully deserved their victory," he remarked.
Chelsea's head coach was visibly pleased with his side's defensive performance, emphasising the significance of securing their first clean sheet of the season. The Spanish tactician praised his players for showing character under pressure and managing to close out the game successfully.
