Petr Cech's Arsenal move could spell trouble for other EPL top dogs

The general consensus about Cech seems to be that Chelsea’s loss is sure to be Arsenal’s gain

When Thibaut Courtois made his long-awaited return from Atletico Madrid to Stamford Bridge, the bell was already starting to toll for Petr Cech. Just 10 appearances in total across all competitions last season later, and it was clearer than ever before that the ex-Rennes shot-stopper was firmly second in the pecking order.

That said, the general consensus seems to be that Chelsea’s loss is sure to be Arsenal’s gain, and this just months after he helped keep his new ‘potential’ employers at bay at Stamford Bridge back in October last year.

With Cech all set to line out for the Gunners as their primary shot-stopper come the start of the new league campaign in just a few short weeks, the future looks very bright for the Czech star.

While some will view his move as a slight step down, others see it, yet more harshly, as his inability to stand up to fight for his place.

The rest, however, seem to regard it as another massive opportunity to prove himself – and those who believe that Arsene Wenger’s men can once more challenge for the Premier League title are a lot less derided now that Cech looks set to secure the move.

So, let’s take a brief look at how the towering custodian’s transfer could well spell trouble for the league’s top dogs and why it could yet turn out to be the biggest capture of the summer.

Title-winning experience vital for Gunners

Cech’s reluctance to play second fiddle to Courtois shows his hunger to play and win titles

Throughout his 11 years at Chelsea, the world-class ‘keeper won as many as 13 trophies – not a bad haul for someone who had next to no experience of top-flight football when he first arrived on the scene of the English game. Now a well-renowned legend, he commands respect amongst his peers and gives even the best of strikers a real dilemma on his day.

For a while now, Arsenal have been mocked for their lack of silverware, but they have made huge strides to rectify the situation in recent years, winning the FA Cup twice in the past two seasons as well as claiming the Community Shield towards the beginning of the 2013/14 campaign.

By choosing to bring in the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and now targeting Cech over the last few seasons, Wenger has made a conscious effort to include players who have experience of winning important titles.

Between Sanchez and Ozil, for example, they have won nine trophies in Spain – with both players getting their hands on the La Liga trophy in the process. Each of these stars knows what it’s like to battle at the top and be successful, and the product of their know-how will make the north Londoners a force to be reckoned with.

Indeed, with another EPL medal around his neck following the culmination of last season, if anything was new to Cech it wasn’t the taste of victory.

Instead, it was learning how to adapt to his role in that silverware-seizing side. Playing second fiddle to Courtois, he was no longer the no.1 figure between the posts – he was a bit-part player, and that was always going to be a tough pill to swallow. Nevertheless, he didn’t throw his toys from the pram, instead opting to roll up his sleeves and get on with it.

At the end of the day, it’s important Arsenal fans don’t look at him as an ageing has-been, past his prime who’s being pawned off on them, but as a talented weapon who remains hungry for titles and doesn’t feel comfortable being second best.

Surely that’s exactly the type of leader Arsenal are looking for as they look to cause trouble for their rivals.

Cech has many years left at the top

Cech managed to perform brilliantly when called upon by Mourinho to step-in for Courtois

Reflecting on his last eight matches for Chelsea and there are more than a few encouraging nuggets of information to suggest that while he might not have had as important a place in the reigning English champion’s roster as he would have liked, he continued to shine whenever he was given minutes to master.

Keeping as many as five clean sheets in that run of his final string of 90-minute appearances, Cech was in fine form between the posts as he sent out a signal of intent.

Whether or not his performances were intended to make Jose Mourinho sit up and take notice of what was being wasted on the sidelines, or whether they were merely his usually outstanding efforts as net-minder, it’s not all that clear, but the fact remains that he continued to produce the goods for them.

Plus, if you are of the persuasion that goalkeepers get better with age, then Cech still has his best years left at the top, which is great news for Arsenal supporters.

Even John Terry believes that the lanky custodian can still make a huge difference to Arsenal’s exploits, with the Blues captain recently suggesting that he can help his new side challenge even closer next season, as relayed by the Guardian.

He will save them 12 or 15 points a season. Petr was an unbelievable professional last year. When you get left out of the team it can be hard to accept but when he came in he was exceptional.

Simply put, had the current FA Cup champions earned an extra 12 points last season, they would have finished with 87 points – the same number as that of title winners Chelsea.

Unlike many other positions on the football field, goalkeepers can often extend their shelf-life well into their 40s, which means that Cech could spend as many as the next five years at the Emirates, keeping guard of their goal, organising the defence and bringing a commanding presence to proceedings.

Potentially, he has so many years left at the top, it’s just a matter of ‘wait and see’ to find out whether he can help Arsenal reach the pinnacle he knows so well.

His innate resilience can be a lesson for Gunners stars

Cech made a glorious return to the world of football after his career-threatening injury in 2006

Back in 2006 when his unfortunate collision with Stephen Hunt’s knee occurred, the outpouring of goodwill and emotion for a full and speedy recovery was a heart-warming by-product that football fans the world over were happy to see. At the time, speculation was rife that his career – and his life – could very well have come to an abrupt end.

Thankfully that didn’t happen and Cech eventually made a glorious return to the world of football, his powers undiminished by a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Whispers of insecurity followed him for months following his return, with some pundits speculating that he would struggle to recover the fearlessness he once possessed – using evidence of his headgear as flimsy validation.

But Cech refused to allow this sort of talk get in his way as he powered through the negativity, worked incredibly hard to push past the debilitating headaches that plagued him for weeks, his difficulty speaking as well as an intense rehabilitation regime.

His tale of a rise, a fall and then a redemptive journey through a gruelling series of changes is something he can bring to his Arsenal team-mates for their benefit.

After all, this is a club that, although a fantastic institution, has rarely scaled the heights consistently enough for their fans. Aside from being the missing piece they need from a tactical and positional point of view, he’s also one that could help signal a new era of resilience and success for the club and its mentality as they aim to mix it at the summit of European and domestic football once again.

A lot can happen in a season, but Cech is certainly the sort of player the “Gooners” would love to have on board for the fight ahead.