Arsenal: Petr Cech decision must be made

Petr Cech will reportedly be Chelsea’s sporting director next season. Ahead of the Europa League final against that very Chelsea, Arsenal have a decision to make regarding their starting goalkeeper.

The Europa League final between Arsenal and Chelsea is a week away. The curiously long build-up has centred on the farcical decision of UEFA to host the final in Baku, Azerbaijan. But there is another story that deserves attention: the role of Gunners goalkeeper, Petr Cech.

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Cech is the number two goalkeeper at the club behind Bernd Leno, who was signed last summer to be his replacement. But with rest and rotation critical in the modern game, Unai Emery fielded Cech in the Europa League. He is the ‘cup goalkeeper’.

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It was presumed that he would start the final, despite there being no more games to rest Leno for, or any preceding games that would sap his readiness for the final itself. The decision to start Cech would almost be purely out of loyalty and sentimentality, not necessarily bad reasons, but certainly not exclusively footballing ones.

There is also now an added layer of complexity: Cech is reported to be the new sporting director at Chelsea once he retires at the end of the season. The former Chelsea player has denied these reports, stating that he will decide his future after the final, but their very presence is a little unnerving — I would guess that they may have come from Chelsea to try to disrupt Cech’s preparations.

This all begs the questions: Should Cech start the Europa League final?

I have no problem with Cech’s professionalism, as some on social media have questioned in the aftermath of the sporting director reports surfacing. Should he play, he would be completely and utterly committed to the team. I have no doubts on that front. But there is still the footballing aspect to consider.

At this stage, Leno is a better goalkeeper than Cech, particularly when you consider their relative comfort in possession. It is not a coincidence that Arsenal can play out from the back with more consistency and speed when Leno is in goal. He is markedly better with his feet.

However, there is something to be said for the sentimentality of sport. When Watford’s Ben Foster was asked about what would happen if he was picked ahead of Huerelho Gomes for the FA Cup final, Gomes’ final game of his Watford career in a competition that he had played in every round of, he said he would reject the decision and demand that Gomes be played ahead of him. Foster is a better player than Gomes, but there was a personal aspect that was prioritised. I would like to think of Arsenal as a personable, feeling club.

This all leads to say one thing: a decision must be made. Unai Emery must choose to stick with Cech or replace him with Leno. And whatever choice he makes, he and Arsenal must live and die by it.