Not going to believe that Pickford didn't see a chance to lay out Virgil and he took it. Did he explicitly think "I'm going to try and snap his ACL". No probably not. Did he explicitly think "I'm going to go in hard and make Virgil pay for this"...yes and you won't convince me otherwise. He's a reckless player likely because he's not a good keeper to begin with and he isn't ever in the right position.
So in the time of the ball being hooked over to Virgil and it landing is around a second, his reaction time is a shade of that.. no chance he thought it through, he wouldn't have time, he reacted immediately and it was his poor technique and reading led to what happened
So, having played the game you wont convince me in this specific incident he had time to think he was going to ho in hard on the player and make him pay l, no chance
He sh*te, his reading his sh*te, his technique is sh*te, his delivery of his attempted block is sh*te but he wouldnt have any time in this situation to have thought this through, even quickly because most of the play isnt in his line of vision
He was reactive, no proactive in this
The difference with Richarlison is it all happens in front of him and he can see and anticipate what will happen because it's happened a thousand times like this in a game, he would know he is highly unlikely to get the ball there because it was 40/60 against him
Pickford in a crowded area with the ball being played out of his line of vision couldnt compute really what the odds were quickly enough which is what makes the technical aspect of it so poor
Its 100% a penalty (the offside saves him) but it's also 100% a red (the offside shouldn't have saved him there)
A scissor kick challenge is beyond reckless it endangers the safety of a fellow professional, so premeditated or not makes no difference
The scissor kick challenge though is kind of what keepers do to make themselves big, look back on how Schmeichel used to come out in a one on one, exactly the same, but with the play and therefore the control of the action in front of him
Pickford wasnt in control because technically in that situation he couldnt be, so out of control of his body in the tackle, penalty and red card.. but not an attempt to do Virgil.. just F***ing awful technique