Joe Hart pinpoints Everton player 'completely out of position' for Southampton winner

Former goalkeeper Joe Hart believes Jordan Pickford was not to blame for Southampton’s late winner against Everton.

The Toffees suffered a 1-0 defeat at St Mary’s on Saturday, which ended their five-match unbeaten run. Everton had chances, with substitute Beto hitting the crossbar and Southampton scoring less than a minute later. Russell Martin’s side mustered a counter-attack, which was finished off by Adam Armstrong to deliver the Saints their first Premier League victory this season. The Blues would go on to have a late Beto equaliser chalked off because of offside after a VAR check.

Armstrong’s finish did not go into the far corner of the goal, with Pickford’s positioning coming under some scrutiny. But ex-Man City and England No.1 Hart believes that Everton defender Vitalii Mykolenko’s positioning unsighted Pickford. Speaking on Match of the Day, Hart said: “It has ended up going in the middle of the goal but the disarray from the Everton chance has meant that Mykolenko has ended up in the centre of the Everton defence not quite knowing what he’s doing. All he’s ended up doing is impeding Jordan Pickford.

“As Jordan Pickford turns from the original pass to try to get across to face the Armstrong shot, if Mykolenko is not there, he manages to get at least another yard to his right, giving him a great opportunity to make a save or even make an attempt at saving it.

“But the problem is, like I said, Mykolenko finds himself completely out of position, chased [Cameron] Archer and once he realised he didn’t need to take him, he turned his back and is spinning around.

“Pickford’s weight is completely on his left foot and he’s having to look around him. He’s hoping that Armstrong goes back across him towards [James] Tarkowski and as soon as that ball goes past Mykolenko’s hip, he’s got next to no time to react - and that’s why it’s gone into Everton’s goal.”