Three lessons for Chelsea on tactics, players from England’s win in Spain

2. Goalkeepers must not get distracted by trendy ancillary duties

Jordan Pickford’s distribution allowed England to play out of Spain’s press, which was admittedly quite light in the first half but gained intensity in the second. England’s second goal was the direct result of an impeccably timed and aimed Route One long-ball from Pickford to Harry Kane, who held up play perfectly to send Marcus Rashford in clear.

And yet Pickford nearly ended the night as the biggest donkey between two sticks. Like Liverpool’s Allison early in the season, Pickford attempted to do a Cruyff turn on the edge of his six-yard box under heavy pressure. Rodrigo was closing Pickford hard and fast, Pickford muffed the turn and lost the ball to Rodrigo. Only some desperate (ahem) defending, Rodrigo’s refusal to go to ground and generous officiating saved England from a goal, either on the play or from the spot.

In Kepa Arrizabalaga, Chelsea have one of the world’s most highly-rated and – thanks to the Blues – expensive young goalkeepers in the world. His transfer fee was as much about his ball-handling abilities as his shot-stopping. But as Allison and Pickford have now shown, ball-handling is meaningless if it comes at the direct expense of a goalkeeper’s primary job: stopping shots. And better yet: preventing shots.

Arrizabalaga gives Chelsea new options for playing the ball out from the back, both to start the play and to recycle the ball. But against a team playing a very high press, Arrizabalaga could find himself tempted to think he is the 11th outfield player. He may believe the trendy talk around his position, and he may even believe his own hype. Like Allison did. Rather than putting his boot through the ball and sending it into the stands or across midfield, he could attempt a Cruyff turn or maybe even an elastico. You can imagine what could happen next.

Goalkeepers must prevent shots from happening. If they are the direct cause of a shot on their goal, they have committed a double failure because they never should have created that risk in the first place. The best ball-handling goalkeeper is still a worse ball-handler than the worst outfield player, and that is as it should be. Goalkeepers, like centre-backs, must not get caught up in the trends of the moment and lose their distinct core competency.

Goalkeepers no longer have just one job, but that one job must take priority over all else. Otherwise, a highlight-worthy night will vanish behind a single blooper.