Petr Cech is providing the inspiration to make his Arsenal team-mates believe they can challenge for the Premier League title next season, according to the club’s captain, Mikel Arteta.
He described the goalkeeper’s move from the champions Chelsea as a “very serious” statement by Arsenal and said: “His ambition is still there even though he has won everything in England and in Europe. Those type of signings give a lift to the whole team. He’s not just a good goalkeeper. He has experience and ambition. The decision he made to come here after being a legend at Chelsea was not easy.
“I don’t think many of them would do it at his age. He is still hungry and he wants to prove himself at the top again and it’s a really good decision for us. He could have gone to another league and said: ‘My name is here forever in the Premier League with Chelsea.’ And you know that there will be some criticism coming [to him]. He just wants to take this chance and say: ‘I’ve got another chapter with a massive club and I want to make Arsenal champions.’
“When you get to know him I have no doubt he will handle that criticism. He is very cool, he’s been training very well and he’s not here just to sit on his back. He wants to compete, he wants to keep winning and he’s a good lad.”
The midfielder was speaking after Arsenal’s squad arrived in Singapore for a pre-season tournament in which they will play a national side, Everton and Stoke City.
The manager, Arsène Wenger, stated on Monday that he hoped to add another one or two signings but had never been interested in signing Raheem Sterling from Liverpool because his squad has enough attacking talent.
Arteta said: “This is a process that started three or four years ago. Suddenly the club’s perspective and potential changed,” he said. “Instead of selling the best players, they decided to keep the players and keep adding the quality every year. Once we do that we start to show more consistency, start to win trophies , confidence, atmosphere, everything gets better.”
Arteta, who at 33 is the same age as Cech, is hoping this will be a significant period in his career after he started only six matches last season because of injury and the emergence of players such as the young French midfielder Francis Coquelin. Arteta signed a new one-year contract at the start of July.
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