Arsenal’s first foray into the summer transfer market was a significant one as Petr Cech made the journey across London, departing champions Chelsea to become major part of the Gunners’ spine ahead of their 2015/16 title tilt.
After weeks of speculation, Arsenal snapped up the 33-year-old on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee, with manager Arsene Wenger revealing that Cech had been a long-term target:
“Petr Cech is a player that I have admired for a long time and I am very pleased that he has decided to join us. He has proven over many seasons that he is one of the outstanding keepers in the world and he will add great strength to our squad.”
Cech also took time out to discuss his cross-London move. Having passed his medical at the Emirates, the stopper hinted that his desire for regular football was the driver behind his Stamford Bridge departure…
“I’m really excited about joining Arsenal Football Club and can’t wait to join up for pre-season. I have the same commitment to football, the same motivation and the same hunger for success as I had at the beginning of my career, and I love the challenges brought by the top-quality players you face while playing in the Premier League. When Arsene Wenger spoke to me about his ambitions for this club, and how he saw me as part of this team, the decision was clear.”
The History
A Czech Republic native, Cech cut his teeth at FC Viktoria Plzen’s youth academy. Having been converted from a striker to a goalkeeper, he then joined Czech First League outfit FK Chmel Blsany in the summer of 1999, making his debut four months later against Sparta Prague.
Cech managed just two appearances in his first season for Chmel Blsany but became a regular starter the following term, tallying 25 appearances. He impressed sufficiently to court interest from Sparta Prague, who signed the 18-year-old on a five-and-a-half-year contract. In November of his first campaign with Sparta, Cech set the record for the longest period (903 minutes) without conceding in the top flight of Czech football.
Cech then made the switch to Ligue 1 club Rennes, where he notched 70 league outings over two seasons. Chelsea subsequently tabled a £7 million bid, which saw the 6ft 5in shot-stopper arrive at Stamford Bridge on a five-year deal.
A pre-season injury to Carlo Cudicini allowed Cech to establish himself as the Blues’ first-choice keeper right from the off. In his debut season for the London club, he set a new Premier League record for time elapsed (1025 minutes) without conceding and also scooped the Golden Glove accolade, having notched up a record 21 clean sheets en route to the title.
Over the next nine seasons, Cech was mainstay in a Chelsea side that claimed two further league crowns, four FA Cups, one League Cup and victories in both European club competitions. He finally lost his starting berth at the start of the 2014/15 campaign following the return of Thibaut Courtois from his three-season loan at Atletico Madrid. In all, Cech amassed 485 appearances in all competitions across his Chelsea career.
Since bursting onto the international stage in 2002, Cech has held a firm grip on Czech Republic’s No. 1 berth. With 114 senior appearances to his name in the intervening years, the former Blues shot-stopper is almost certain to surpass Karel Poborsky’s tally of 118 outings and become the most-capped Czech player in history.
The Prospects
Although the return of Courtois limited Cech’s involvement in the league last season, the Stamford Bridge veteran certainly delivered when called upon. Cech recorded five clean sheets across his seven appearances, conceding just two goals in the process, whereas Courtois – operating behind the same defence – conceded 30 times in 32 Premier League outings for the champions.
Certainly, Cech’s acquisition should afford the Gunners far greater stability from the outset after they managed a mere five clean sheets in the first 20 fixtures of 2014/15. Granted, the introduction of David Ospina to the XI in Gameweek 21 saw the north London side accrue eight shut-outs in their remaining 18 league outings but there seems little argument that Cech will be an upgrade on the Colombian stopper. Indeed, Blues skipper John Terry reckons that the signing will be worth 12-15 points for Wenger’s side next term.
Looking back to Cech’s performances as a regular starter in the 2013/14 campaign, the former Rennes man conceded fewer goals (24) than any keeper that chalked up at least 15 appearances. He also ranked joint-top for clean sheets (16) alongside Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny, despite earning three fewer league outings.
Certainly, it seems highly unlikely that Cech will be moving to warm the Arsenal bench and with a security of starts looking assured, the new boy could come in at either 5.5 or perhaps even 6.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) this time around. Whilst few will be prepared to splash that sort of cash for a keeper, there’s hope that he will improve the prospects of Arsenal’s defence for the upcoming campaign.
Laurent Koscielny, in particular, looks the standout candidate. The Frenchman averaged 4.4 points per game last time out – more than Aaron Ramsey (4.0), for example – though bearing in mind he ended up with just 120 points as a result of an injury-plagued campaign, he should remain at 6.0 to kick off with.
Elsewhere at the back, though, uncertainty still surrounds the full-back berths. It remains to be seen whether young Hector Bellerin can keep a fully-fit Mathieu Debuchy out of the starting XI, whilst Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs, with 24 and 18 starts respectively last season, have the potential to frustrate Fantasy managers looking at the left-back berth. All four should be priced cheaper than Koscielny, though, and will be ones to monitor if they can nail down a regular role.
With clashes against West Ham, Palace, Newcastle, Stoke and Leicester in the first seven Gameweeks, Wenger’s side certainly have the schedule to hit the ground running. Whilst Cech may struggle to persuade us to invest, due to the lure of cheap rotation keepers, those prepared to shell out on a premium defender may well be eyeing up Koscielny from the outset, allowing us time to assess the full-back situation for signs of potential bargains.
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