Top Performances of Petr Cech

Here, we will take a look at some of the best performances of Petr Cech. Usually, goalkeepers have a role which is overshadowed by what their teammates do due to the extra focus on them. Being the last line of defence should be a major reason for hogging the spotlight but it’s not the case with keepers as the spotlight is always on the manager, the playing style and the other players on the pitch. But when the spotlight does fall on them, the plaudits are specifically for them due to their athleticism and aerial ability which is a treat for the cameras. Many such keepers have enthralled viewers and players with performances of the highest calibre. Keepers like Gianluigi Buffon, Oliver Kahn and Iker Casillas have provided young keepers inspiration on how to not let any shot hit the inside of their net. Among these young goalies, a Czech emerged and, through Jose Mourinho, was brought into the limelight in 2003 with some top saves for Chelsea FC. Since then, he has developed to be one of the best in the world. So, lets go through some of his brilliant performances in the past.?

?5. vs Barcelona (H), Champions League Semi-Final, 2012

Chelsea had never won the Champions League. Their owner, Roman Abramovich, had left no stone unturned in his pursuit to achieve this by changing managers like he is changing clothes. Big name managers like Jose Mourinho and Luiz Felipe Scolari came and went without much celebrations on the European circuit. Just when the highly dissapointing Andre Vilas-Boas left the reigns at Chelsea, former Chelsea player Roberto Di Matteo took over and he made an immediate impact as Chelsea won against Napoli. This magic continued for Chelsea in the semifinals where they faced Barcelona. Reeling from last year’s defeat, Chelsea had a point to prove and they did through the lone goal by Drogba at Stamford Bridge. The second leg was a show of pure masterclass by Petr Cech as he was a hero between the posts as he saved everything that came his way, one of the special saves being an acrobatic one from a shot by Issac Cuenca. A true influence on the team which then went on to win the match on an aggregate score of 3-2.

A pumped up Cech

4. ?vs Wycombe (H), League Cup Semifinial 2nd Leg, 2007

In the previous match, the Czech goalkeeper had crashed against Stephen Hunt and had fractured his skull. Due to this, he was out for three months. When he made his comeback, people saw a different appearance of Cech with a skull-protection measure on his face. But it didn’t reflect on his performance as he started off his after-injury period with yet another clean sheet. It gave a huge confidence boost to him and inspired Chelsea to go on to win the League Cup that season.

Petr Cech

??3. vs Manchester United (H), FA Cup Quarter Final, 2013

The Red Devils were trailing 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. Their quest for another FA Cup title in the cabinet was slowly fading away. Though they continued to pressurize the Chelsea defence, they were made to rue their chances as Cech made a miraculous save from a header from Hernandez which was going straight into the back of the net. This save from him prompted the whole stadium to give a standing ovation to the tall Czech. Chelsea held on to emerge victorious and proceed to the semifinals of the competition. Hernandez went up to him afterwards and asked him how was such a save humanely possible. Such is the class and quality of the man.

One of the best saves in Cech’s career

2. vs Southampton (H), English Premier League, 2014

The Saints had a terrific start to the season but gradually met a decline in the second half of the season as the major stalwarts picked up the pace. So, when Chelsea met Southampton on the first day of the new year, there was a record that was set in a player’s mind – a record of Chelsea legend Peter Bonetti’s 208 clean sheets and Petr Cech was aware of it. Goals from Torres, Willian and Oscar helped Chelsea to record a 3-0 win over Southampton but it brought to fore another development that Petr Cech had equalled Bonetti’s record. Working as an ambassador in the team, Bonetti is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers Chelsea has ever produced and the notion of being in the same league as Peter has given Cech an impetus to do better for his team and win more trophies with them.

Cech in action

1. vs Blackburn (A), English Premier League, 2005

It was a stormy Wednesday night as Blackburn hosted Chelsea in the Premier League. Chelsea were on quite a roll after newly appointed manager Jose Mourinho had changed the fortunes at Chelsea and brought fore an extremely entertaining tactic for fans to enjoy. In this match, tempers flared on the pitch as Chelsea kept Blackburn at bay for most of the time. But a mistake by Paulo Ferreira in the box gave Dickov a chance to convert his temper into a goal and embarass the Chelsea support. But the tall Czech had other plans as he dived in the right direction to stop the shot at the bottom corner and then holding the ball, before DIckov kicked him in the chest which led to further flares between the teams. An amazing save by Petr Cech which made him break the record for the maximum time without conceding a goal – a timespan of 694 minutes by the living legend Peter Schmeichel.Voted as the world’s best goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993, Peter Schmeichel has been an amazing influence for goalkeepers throughout the world and the conquest of such a record was a huge achievement for Petr Cech. Beating the record of Premier League clean sheets, Cech also set a foundation stone for himself to go on to maintain clean sheets for another month.

Cech saves Dickov’s penalty