Fans Question Jordan Pickford’s Penalty Routine After Leeds Match

Supporters suggest that Jordan Pickford’s water bottle cheat sheet may have contributed to his unsuccessful penalty save during a recent game. Everton was close to securing a draw against newly promoted Leeds until a controversial handball by James Tarkowski in the 82nd minute led to a penalty.

The decision was reviewed by VAR and upheld by referee Chris Kavanagh, leaving Pickford to face the penalty taker. As part of his usual pre-shot routine, Pickford checked his water bottle, which displays the likely penalty routines of opponents.

Pickford anticipated the penalty from Leeds’ Lukas Nmecha and dove in the correct direction but failed to stop the shot, which was executed low to the corner. Fans believe that Pickford was mainly guessing, especially since Nmecha’s name was seemingly not on his cheat sheet.

Social media comments expressed skepticism, with one viewer stating, “No chance Pickford has Nmecha written on his bottle,” while others noted that he appeared to be searching for Nmecha’s name and found it missing. Some fans joked that the routine appeared to be a bluff or that the water bottle didn’t help him regain control.

Interestingly, Nmecha, who scored the decisive goal, had not taken a penalty since 2021 and was a recent substitute, suggesting he was unlikely to be included on Pickford’s list.

Despite the criticism, Pickford’s dive was accurate, and he nearly saved the penalty. Historically, he has studied opponents’ shooting tendencies, successfully saving penalties like Manuel Akanji’s in Euro 2024 quarter-finals and notably denying Erling Haaland last season in the Premier League by analyzing probable shooting directions.

In total, Pickford has saved 10 of 66 penalties in his career, illustrating his ability to anticipate and adapt to penalty takers’ tendencies, even if recent events cast doubt on the effectiveness of his routine in this instance.