Cech frustrates Everton in Arsenal victory
UNAI Emery saluted Petr Cech after the Arsenal goalkeeper’s superb display set the stage for Sunday’s 2-0 win over Everton.
Emery’s side were under the cosh in the first half at the Emirates Stadium, but Cech came to their rescue with a series of fine saves.
Having survived Everton’s opening salvo, the Gunners clinched their fourth successive Premier League victory thanks to second half goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Lacazette’s sublime strike will stand the test of time, but Aubameyang’s was more fortunate as the Gabon forward was clearly offside.
While the predatory form of Arsenal’s strikers was encouraging for Emery, the Gunners boss was more heartened by his team’s first clean sheet of the season.
It was a well-timed display from Cech after the former Chelsea star was replaced by pre-season signing Bernd Leno for Thursday’s 4-2 home Europa League win over Vorskla Poltava.
Emery’s decision sparked claims Cech was on the way out, but the Arsenal captain had other ideas as he rolled back the years with a vintage display.
“We are very happy with the goalkeepers. Petr has big experience and big quality. He has started the season very well,” Emery said.
“He is performing like we want and today he showed us he is very well.
“I’m surprised there are a lot of questions about Cech, because in the preseason and in the first matches with us he played well.
“Leno is calm. He knows he is working well but Petr Cech is performing well. Leno will improve and learn with us. He has a big future.”
Cech’s heroics laid the foundation for Arsenal’s burst of two goals in three minutes, but it might have been differ- ent if Emery had been quicker with a planned substitution.
He was about to take off Lacazette just before the French striker notched his superb second goal of the season in the 56th minute.
Arsenal are up to sixth place in the Premier League, a welcome sight after the gloom that followed their two-game losing streak at the start of Emery’s reign.
Sarri sets sights on Liverpool
Maurizio Sarri laughed off suggestions that next week’s summit meeting with Liverpool is a “must-win” game after seeing Chelsea’s 100 percent Premier League record ended by stubborn West Ham in a 0-0 draw on Sunday.
Chelsea had won all five of their league matches before the weekend, going toe to toe with Liverpool, who beat Southampton on Saturday to make it six wins out of six.
The visitors enjoyed 72 per cent of possession at the London Stadium but failed to break down a determined West Ham side, who created enough clear-cut chances to win the game themselves.
Sarri said West Ham, who beat Everton last week after losing their first four league games of the season, had been tough opponents, adding that his team needed to find a way to move the ball more quickly.
Turning his thoughts to Saturday’s match against Liver- pool at Stamford Bridge, Sarri, in his first season in the job, said it would be tough to compete with a side that had been developing for three years under Jurgen Klopp.
“They are a step forward than us in this moment,” he said. “We have started to work all together 35, 40 days ago.
“So for us I think it’s a bit early. We have to work. We need to improve and then maybe in one year we will be at the same level of Liverpool.”