“I double-bluffed him”: Jordan Pickford had brilliant cheat sheet to save James Maddison penalty vs Everton

Jordan Pickford produced a crucial save in Everton’s match against Leicester City as he denied James Maddison from converting a penalty. But the England international’s save wasn’t just down to a lucky guess.

It was a tense match from start to finish as both sides are currently fighting to avoid relegation from the Premier League. Everton currently remain in the bottom three on 29 points, sandwiched between Southampton and Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile the Foxes are teetering just above the drop zone, but only on goal difference.

After handball was given against Michael Keane on the cusp of half-time, Maddison had a golden opportunity to extend Leicester’s lead to 3-1 and potentially kill off the game. But Pickford had done his research and was well-equipped to deal with the pressure, all thanks to a cheat sheet on his water bottle.

Jordan Pickford’s water bottle helped him save Leicester penalty

A close up shot of Pickford’s bottle during the match showed a graphic of Maddison’s penalty attempts taped to it, revealing his tendancy is to shoot down the middle. The bottle instructed the goalkeeper to ‘stay centre’, which is exactly what he did when Maddison stepped up to the spot.

It was an overall weak penalty attempt from the Leicester man but Pickford’s confidence in his research aided him in an easy save. Everton then went on to pull a goal back in the second half and secure an important point.

“I did my homework,” Pickford told Sky Sports after the draw at the King Power Stadium. “I called it this morning where I would go. He is a good player and he would’ve expected me to move, but I double-bluffed him and got one up on him.

“Madders needs to learn his lesson. Don’t play poker. It was a big moment and I’m happy to save it — it’s what I’m there for.”

Despite the jubilation of Pickford’s heroics, the Toffees are not out of the woods yet. As they continue their relegation battle, their upcoming fixtures will see them take on Brighton, Manchester City, and Wolves, before ending the season at Goodison Park against Bournemouth.