Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole has criticized Jordan Pickford’s positioning after the Everton goalkeeper conceded twice in his side’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

According to a report by Metro on Saturday, 17 October 2026, Cole questioned Pickford’s awareness after Pedro Neto scored his second goal in the 90th minute to seal all three points for Xabi Alonso’s side.

Chelsea took the lead shortly after half-time when Neto converted Jorrel Hato’s cross into the bottom-right corner.

The Portuguese winger secured his brace late in the match after a fortunate bounce from a free-kick gave him the opportunity to curl the ball past Pickford.

Speaking on Premier League Productions, Cole suggested the Everton goalkeeper should have been better positioned to deal with the second goal.

"Look at Pickford’s position, I think he’s asleep a little bit there," he said.

The former England international also acknowledged the fortunate nature of Neto’s finish but maintained that Chelsea were deserving winners.

"Neto just can’t believe his luck," Cole added, describing the goal as a gift.

Despite the criticism of Pickford, Cole praised Chelsea’s defensive organisation, arguing that Everton struggled to create clear-cut opportunities throughout the contest.

The victory moved Chelsea into fourth place in the Premier League table and gave Alonso’s team their first clean sheet of the season.

Alonso was pleased with his players’ performance, particularly their defensive discipline and ability to withstand Everton’s pressure from set-pieces and long throw-ins.

"Really pleased with the performance, with the win, with the clean sheet, many positives to build from today," the Chelsea manager said.

The result represents an important step for Chelsea as they seek greater consistency under Alonso. Their ability to combine attacking quality with a disciplined defensive display will offer encouragement ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.