Everton v Chelsea - Sat 23rd Dec 2017 - 12:30pm

Pickford: Everton Are Aiming High

Jordan Pickford is backing resurgent Everton to keep climbing the Premier League table under the guidance of “great” manager Sam Allardyce.

The Toffees welcome reigning champions Chelsea to Goodison Park on Saturday seeking to extend their unbeaten run to a seventh match in all competitions.

Goalkeeper Pickford has conceded only two goals in the five top-flight games since Allardyce was announced as boss three weeks ago, with Everton collecting 13 points in that period to jump seven places to ninth.

And the 23-year-old insists his side are capable of turning the tables on a Chelsea team who have twice inflicted defeats on the Toffees this term.

“We have been in great form and that has got us up to ninth – but now we need to get to eighth and keep going… to try to get as high as we can,” said Pickford.

“We can beat anyone on our day. As long as we keep performing, getting results away from home and making sure our home form is top drawer, we can only go higher.

“The games we lost to Chelsea [in the Premier League in August and Carabao Cup two months ago] were both away from home.

“You always have the advantage when you are at home and we will go in with a good gameplan, which we have been working on this week. We can go out and try to beat them.”

Everton gave their season a kick start with a 4-0 thumping of West Ham United last month – on a night when Pickford saved Hammers playmaker Manuel Lanzini’s penalty with the match still in the balance at 2-0.

He points to that success as the “spark” his team needed, with the Blues subsequently beating Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United and Swansea City, as well as sharing the spoils with Liverpool in a feisty Merseyside derby at Anfield.

Premier League ever present Pickford’s fellow young English stars, Mason Holgate, Jonjoe Kenny and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have started every match of Allardyce’s embryonic reign.

Pickford was the only player in the Everton squad who had worked with the manager at club level prior to his arrival at Goodison last month.

And – given his first-hand view of the way Allardyce rescued the Wearsiders from a seemingly hopeless position in 2015/16 – the keeper was certain his astute 63-year-old boss would trigger an upturn in fortunes at Goodison.

“I knew what he was about and what he did for Sunderland,” said Pickford. “I was confident we would never be in a relegation scrap regardless – but with the gaffer here, we know how good we can be and how quickly we can get up the table.

“He is just great at his job. He keeps everything simple. There is a lot of detail, but everything is done within a basic structure.

“He has brought in great staff as well: Sammy Lee, Craig Shakespeare and [Performance Director] Ryland Morgans. His planning is good and we are going into games knowing what we have to do.

“We have all bonded really well as a group of lads. We are communicating well on the pitch and doing our best for the side.

“There is a great spine of young players and we are all capable of producing on a Saturday.

“We have good depth in the squad with plenty of competition for every position – and that will be needed.

“The confidence has to be there, otherwise you will not be right on a Saturday. Everything I do in the gym, on the training pitch and on the mental side is about being ready for matchday.

“We picked up that confidence from the West Ham game, which gave us a real spark. Now we need to push on and produce these performances week in, week out.”

Pickford has recorded three clean sheets in his past five matches, having kept only one in his first 13 top-flight outings for the Club – in the opening-day 1-0 victory over Stoke City.

He is eager to share the credit for the Blues’ recent parsimony with a new-look back four, featuring Kenny, Holgate, Ashley Williams and Cuco Martina.

But Pickford acknowledges the Toffees will have their work cut out to put the shackles on Antonio Conte’s Chelsea, who come to Goodison without suspended nine-goal striker Alvaro Morata.

The exceptional Spaniard scored against Everton in the sides' league match back in August. Chelsea, however, were without Morata for their visit to Huddersfield 10 days ago, when Conte fielded a front three of Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro, and saw the dynamic trio combine to tear the West Yorkshire outfit to shreds in a 3-1 win.

Moreover, the Londoners are scoring their Premier League goals at a rate of 1.8 per match.

“Morata is a top player, but I watched the Huddersfield game back when he did not play and Willian, Pedro and Hazard were all incredible," added Pickford.

"Whoever they play, it will be a tough test for us. This is the reason we are in the Premier League and why we want to be as good as we can possibly be.

“There have been a few changes in our defence. Mason has been terrific with Ash in the middle and they have a really good bond. Cuco has played at left-back and been top drawer. The way we have turned things around shows our character and the mood in the camp has changed massively.

"It is about the basics: stopping crosses coming in, lads blocking and putting their bodies on the line. And being a more solid unit.

“Going into Christmas Day with a win against Chelsea at home – three more points added to our tally – would be brilliant.

“We are up to ninth but we are not the finished article. We have to keep going and keep learning.”