Jordan Pickford
Euro 2020: Gareth Southgate invites Bukayo Saka, 24 others
Gareth Southgate hit back at the critics after selecting Trent Alexander-Arnold for England’s Euro 2020 squad as the Three Lions boss admitted Harry Maguire is a doubt for the opener against Croatia. Alexander-Arnold had to endure a nervous wait before learning he had made the cut after spending much of the season out of favour with Southgate. The 22-year-old was left out of Southgate’s England squad for their World Cup qualifiers in March. But Alexander-Arnold’s strong end to the season with Liverpool convinced Southgate to restore the right-back to his squad. Alexander-Arnold responded to his selection by tweeting: “Always believe in yourself. Silence the doubters.” Irritated by the inaccurate pre-announcement reports that he would drop Alexander-Arnold, Southgate insisted he never lost ...
Sergio Aguero nets brace as Manchester City finish season in style with Everton bashing
Sergio Aguero scored a brace in his final Premier League appearance as Manchester City thrashed Everton 5-0. The hosts flew into the lead after just ten minutes as Kevin De Bruyne rifled a stunning effort past Jordan Pickford from 20 yards. And three minutes later they made it two as Gabriel Jesus cut inside before lashing past the England goalkeeper. The Toffees kept their heads up and won themselves a penalty as Ruben Dias took down Dominic Calvert-Lewin as the striker bore down on goal. But Gylfi Sigurdsson’s effort from the spot was well saved by the diving Ederson who kept City’s 2-0 lead intact heading into half time. City put the game to bed less than ten minutes into the second half as the brilliant Phil Foden shifted onto his right foot before lashing past Pickford from 12 yards. ...
Ancelotti confirms four Everton players won’t play vs Palace…but, duo could return
Everton will face Crystal Palace in the Premier League clash on Monday, and Carlo Ancelotti is hopeful that his side can still achieve their target of securing a European place this season. Ahead of the match, Ancelotti has confirmed that James Rodriguez is in good condition after training well this week. The Colombian hasn’t featured for the Toffees since their 2-0 win against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at Anfield. However, he is now available for selection. James Rodriguez has trained well during the break and is in “good condition” — Patrick Boyland (@Paddy_Boyland) April 2, 2021 The Toffees are also set to welcome Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who has now recovered fully from the nightmare injury that kept him for more than a year. The 25-year-old has made only two appearances for ...
Manchester United linked with Nick Pope with club concerned Dean Henderson is ‘too inexperienced’
Manchester United are being linked with Burnley stopper Nick Pope this summer, with the club concerned that Dean Henderson is not ready to be the club’s number one. Following Henderson’s return from two seasons on-loan at Sheffield United in the summer, there has been constant debate over who should be the Red Devils starting goalkeeper, particularly with David De Gea having been inconsistent in the last 18 months or so. The majority of this campaign has seen the Spaniard remain as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice, with the younger Englishman largely having been deployed in domestic cup competitions. With De Gea granted leave to return to Spain for the birth of his first child last week, the 24-year-old has been handed the chance to impress with a run of games, although after a strong p...
Liverpool’s centre-back crisis worsens as manager confirms Ozan Kabak injury
Kabak was brought into Anfield during the January transfer window following a series of injuries at centre-back for Liverpool. The 20-year-old has not made an ideal start to life in the Premier League. His debut came against Leicester City, where his mix up with goalkeeper Alisson allowed Jamie Vardy to tap home to put the Foxes 2-1 ahead late on. After a victory in the Champions League over RB Leipzig, the Turkey international was once again under fire after the 2-0 home defeat to Everton in the Merseyside derby. This was followed by a victory at Bramall Lane, before a 1-0 loss against Chelsea. Kabak is now believed to be a doubt for the visit of relegation strugglers Fulham, as reported by Times journalist Paul Joyce on Twitter. The extent of his problem is currently unknown. The loanee ...
Predicted Everton starting XI: Ancelotti to make five changes, 26-year-old returns
Everton will face Manchester City in the Premier League on Wednesday night at Goodison Park. The Toffees are heading into this game on the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Fulham. They are up against the Premier League leaders who have won 16 games in a row in all competitions. Team News Ahead of the match, Ancelotti revealed yesterday that striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin won’t take any part in the game. The England striker is still not yet fully fit, but he is expected to return soon. However, the likes of James Rodriguez, Jordan Pickford and Allan could return to the side. Ancelotti also hinted that Josh King, the January signing from Bournemouth, needs more time to get adopt tactically at Everton. He is unlikely to start against Pep Guardiola’s side but could make the benc...
Statistical analysis: Finding a better shot-stopper for Everton
Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton have been absolutely resurgent this season. At the time of writing, they are placed in the Europa League spots with a game or two in hand relative to the teams above them in the table. Their summer signings including the likes of James Rodríguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucouré have been firing on all cylinders, while old faces such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Lucas Digne have been exceptional as well. Protecting their own net, though, has been a bit of a challenge for the Toffees. No other Premier League side has played fewer games than Everton at the time of writing, yet they only have the eighth-best record in the league when it comes to goals conceded. While their defence has not been particularly solid (they are at the very centre of the ...
Alex Iwobi in action as Everton bow to Newcastle United
Alex Iwobi was on parade as Everton lost 2-0 to Newcastle United in Saturday’s Premier League game at Goodison Park. The 24-year-old returned for the Merseyside outfit against Leicester City on Wednesday, making a cameo appearance in the encounter. The Nigeria international missed his side’s outing against Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the FA Cup on January 24. The forward was then restored to the starting XI against the Magpies to afford him more opportunities to make a meaningful impact for the club. Iwobi gave a good account of himself in the encounter but his effort was not enough to help his side avoid their sixth defeat of the season. The game started with both sides striving to outwit each other but despite their efforts, the first half ended without goals. After the re...
Jose Mourinho slams VAR influence for Liverpool derby, Manchester City win
Jose Mourinho has slammed VAR after incidents in the Merseyside derby and Manchester City’s win over Porto in the Champions League. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was not sent off after a horrible tackle on Virgil van Dijk, while Ilkay Gundogan escaped punishment after fouling Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin. Tottenham boss Mourinho thinks both players should have been sent off and wants changes made to the VAR system. “I think the attention [the incidents have received] is based on the fact that there is a VAR. Without VAR, the situations on the pitch happen and the human being, the referee, makes mistakes,” Mourinho said. “And you know me for quite a few years – it was difficult for me to accept the human mistakes but I learned and in this moment, I always accept the referee’s mis...
Manchester United in buoyant mood ahead of clash with Chelsea
Manchester United will approach Saturday’s home English Premier League (EPL) clash with Chelsea in buoyant mood rather than in trepidation. This is after a week which has gone some way to banishing the gloom that was descending on Old Trafford. After going into this month’s international break with a 6-1 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, they have emerged from it with a couple of victories which have kick-started their campaign. Last weekend’s 4-1 win at Newcastle United was followed by a 2-1 victory away to Paris St-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League. For now at least, the critics have been silenced. Chelsea’s visit, however, presents a test of Manchester United’s upswing as they seek their first home league points of the season. This is in the wake of defeats by Crystal Palce and...
Everton looking to sign São Paulo goalkeeper Lucas Perri
Everton are thought to be keen on signing the Sao Paulo goalkeeper Lucas Perri this summer. As per Joven Pan, the Toffees have made contact with the Brazilian club. It will be interesting to see if they follow up on the enquiry with a formal offer now. Jordan Pickford has been quite error-prone since moving to Goodison Park and it is no surprise that Everton are looking at other keepers. Pickford is a talented player but he needs to work on cutting out his mistakes. Also, he needs more competition for the starting berth. Lucas Perri is highly rated in Brazil and he could push Pickford for the starting berth next season. The 19-year-old has played in England with Crystal Palace (loan) before and he might be tempted to join a big club like Everton. The player has a €40m release clause and th...
