Jordan Pickford was speaking following Everton’s Premier League 0-0 draw with Newcastle United
Jordan Pickford insists he took no extra satisfaction from his Anthony Gordon penalty save despite the abuse he continues to get from Newcastle United supporters. The Everton goalkeeper’s first penalty save in almost 18 months ensured former team-mate Gordon endured a miserable return to Goodison Park.
Eddie Howe’s side were awarded a spot kick when James Tarkowski dragged down Sando Tonali inside the box on the half-hour mark. The penalty was awarded following a VAR review.
Gordon stepped up to take it in Alexander Isak’s absence but saw his effort saved by the England international. The save was celebrated like a last-minute winner from those inside Goodison.
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There is no love lost between Pickford and Newcastle supporters, but the 30-year-old insists he took no extra joy from the save.
“I just crack on with me game,” he said. “I know they give me stick. I stay focussed. I learnt from the past; I stay focussed and I want to do my best for the badge. They can give me stick, I’m only up the road from them.
“It was an all right penalty save. It wasn’t a great pen from Ant, I would say. I think he will be disappointed. But I’ve got to back myself and go the right way, which I did.
“I didn’t say anything [to Gordon] before. I focus on my processes; I’ve got the better of him tonight. I read the pen, we move on.
“When we play for England and Ant has been here before, he’s executed pens perfectly. I fancied it tonight and luckily I went the right way.”
Sean Dyche and members of his Everton squad were left fuming with referee Craig Pawson when he awarded the spot-kick – and Pickford believes team-mate Tarkowski could have also been fouled himself in the incident.
He said: “I think Tarks got blocked and he’s given a pull as well. It happens. We might get one, we might not. That’s the football world we are living in. We just have to move forward.”
Pickford, however, did take joy in being able to keep his first clean sheet in the Premier League this season.
“If you can’t win the game and you’re not at your best, you have to defend well as a unit and you might get that one opportunity late on,” he said.
“If you dig in as a group and keep clean sheets, you give yourself a good opportunity. That’s something that we did well last season, and it is something we have to keep improving. That’s what we will keep focussing on.”