Insightful Water Bottle Reveals How Jordan Pickford Outsmarted Maddison's Penalty: A Genius Tactic Unveiled

Everton’s Jordan Pickford made an incredible save to deny Leicester’s James Maddison from the penalty spot during their Premier League clash on May 1, 2023. However, it was Pickford’s preparation for the spot-kick that caught the attention of many fans and analysts alike. After the game, footage emerged showing Pickford’s water bottle, which had penalty sheets of the likely Leicester penalty takers and where they would likely place their penalties. According to the images, Maddison was given a 60% likelihood to shoot down the middle, and rightly so, he did.

Penalties are often considered a 50-50 chance, but the likelihood of scoring is higher than missing. This brings about questions of where it is best for one to place their penalty. As The Athletic reports, the best place for a penalty taker to put their effort is the bottom corners. A low strike is often preferred as it gives the goalkeeper a very short time to get down and react. Therefore, when it is down and beyond the keeper's reach in the bottom corner, one is always likely to score. However, penalties sent down the middle have the worst success rate in the Premier League, at just 5%. It is often the keeper’s starting position, and therefore, the chances of scoring such a penalty are significantly low. Maddison’s miss provided more fodder for this statistic. Meanwhile, the top corners have a success conversion rate of 7% each. Getting either top corner can be a huge risk as there is a slight margin of error in beating the goalkeeper and keeping it down. There are also two types of penalties: goalkeeper-dependent and goalkeeper-independent techniques. The former requires the goalkeepers to make a move first before the taker makes a choice. A good example is the stuttering runs we see from Bruno Fernandes, Jorginho, and Romelu Lukaku at times. The other category takes the goalkeeper out of the equation; it doesn't matter what the goalkeeper does; the taker will do what he has decided. This is often seen with the high-risk Panenka penalties. When scored, they are beautiful, aesthetic even, but when saved, it is often a huge embarrassment to the taker. Again, ask Sergio Aguero what Eduoard Mendy did to him or, better yet, Ademola Lookman against Lukasz Fabianski. The bottom line is that there is no one technique for getting in a good penalty. It often takes lots of practice, a little bit of mind games, and a lot of luck. However, Pickford’s use of the water bottle shows how effective research and preparation can be in the high-pressure moments of a football match. During the match, Everton had taken an early lead through Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty, which he had won. Leicester quickly responded through Caglar Soyuncu and Jamie Vardy before Maddison was awarded a penalty just before half-time. Had he scored, it would have put the game to bed. However, Pickford’s research and save kept Everton in the game. After the match, Pickford was quoted by The Sun, saying: “Madders, he needs to learn his lesson! He doesn't play poker, by the sounds of it. Nah, to be fair, I do my homework. I called it this morning, which I was going to go.” The quote highlights the importance of preparation and research, which Pickford seems to have taken seriously in this instance. The save also raises questions about the mentality of penalty takers. Maddison’s miss may have been due to his predictability, but it could also have been a result of his mental state. Penalty takers often feel immense pressure, with the weight of their