Nick Pope and Jordan Pickford are two of the best goalkeepers in the world right now. They are also England’s best and second-best goalkeepers – but which is which?
England are spoilt for choice with goalkeepers at the moment – the likes of Sam Johnstone, Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale and Manchester United’s Dean Henderson all spring to mind. However, these two superstars stand out above the rest.
We’ll be looking at number of attributes for this list, including shot-stopping ability, distribution and current form for their respective clubs.
Pickford’s distribution is clearly superior to Nick Pope’s. It is Pickford’s greatest strength – he is excellent at starting counter-attacks with his wide range of passing. Conversely, Pope is far more limited in this regard.
Pope commands his area with much more authority than Pickford – his 6ft 3 frame makes him a very intimidating presence in the box. Pickford, meanwhile, is just 6ft 1 and can be bullied by taller players from set pieces.
Pope has made fewer saves than Pickford this season – 54 to Pickford’s 83. Despite this statistic, much of this can be owed to Newcastle’s air-tight defence – Pope has conceded fewer goals than any other ‘keeper in the league (15). Pickford, on the other hand, has let in over double this amount (36).
The former Sunderland man has won significantly more caps for England, with 50 to Pope’s ten. Additionally, Pickford is also younger than Pope – the Everton man is 28, while Pope is 30.
Pickford’s key weaknesses are his concentration levels and temperament. He’s very prone to a moment of madness that could cost his team – as he is maturing, these mistakes are becoming far less common, though.
Pope himself isn’t immune to silly mistakes, either. Recently, in Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat against Liverpool, he erroneously handled the ball outside of his area, leading to his dismissal.
To summarise, we believe the talents of Pope and Pickford are almost impossible to separate. If we had to pick a side, we would choose Pickford – but only due to his superior pedigree and performances for England.
With Everton in danger of relegation could there be a transfer battle for Jordan Pickford between the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and other European giants to sign him? If Sean Dyche keeps Everton up surely Pickford will stay at Everton but if relegation becomes a reality who knows where the keeper could move to.