Arsenal vs Valencia: 5 key players to avoid a complete disaster

3. Petr Cech

Petr Cech came out after the Brighton match and demanded that his teammates shake off the disappointment to help him lift on more trophy. I like this. Because if nothing else, if gives a a club that is, for whatever reason, incredibly tough to motivate, an added opportunity to be motivated. It certainly couldn’t hurt.

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That said, we know what Cech is going to be under fire in this match. He is going to be called upon not just to make the saves, but to own the area around him. He has to coordinate, he has to make smart decisions, because the simplest of slip-ups can undo the entire thing.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Cech was suddenly error-ridden, but he has been stronger this year in his limited appearances, and hopefully his career professionalism can combine with his added motivation to retire with a trophy to form the perfect storm of goalkeeping brilliance.

With this defense being in the state that it’s in, Cech has to assume as much responsibility as he can because who else would you rather trust with it?

I’ll answer that seeming rhetorical question later on, but first, No. 2.