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Petr Cech makes painful Arsenal admission

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 23 : Petr Cech of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League match between Arsenal and Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium on February 23, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 23 : Petr Cech of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League match between Arsenal and Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium on February 23, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal keeper Petr Cech has admitted that the loss to Manchester United represented a step back for his team and their Premier League title hopes

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech knows from his Chelsea days exactly what his side needs to do in order to secure a Premier League title. Unfortunately for he and Gunner fans, the club’s performance against Manchester United fell well short of that standard.

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Cech even painfully admitted after the match to ESPN that his Gunners had “taken a step back.” Those who watched the match against United might say that was an understatement by the accomplished keeper.

The Gunners find themselves headed towards a must-win North London Derby after their failure at Old Trafford. The loss leaves them five points behind Leicester City who sit on top of the Premier League table. More frustrating for Arsenal fans, is the fact that the loss leaves them three points behind rival Tottenham who now sit in second place all by themselves.

In a more normal year, Arsenal fans wouldn’t feel grieved in the slightest to be in third place. After all, fourth has been the side’s most common finishing position under Arsene Wenger in recent memory. This isn’t a normal year in England’s top flight though. This year constitutes the most open title race in years. Arsenal fans realize this is a golden opportunity to hoist silverware at season’s end.

The open nature of the title race has raised the stakes for Cech, Wenger and everyone else at the North London club. They simply cannot afford to lose out to the likes of Leicester or Tottenham if they want to maintain their superiority over every Premier League club not named United, City or Chelsea. Failure to capture the league’s most coveted prize to any club outside that trio might bring Wenger’s empire crashing down.

That’s what makes Cech’s admission to painful for not only himself, but the whole of Arsenal. At the very time where they could have taken a step forward and announced their title chase legitimacy to the world they fell flat on their face. Cech’s words should ring with truth and horror to those who want to see an Arsenal title at the end of the year.

The good news for Arsenal is that in just a week’s time they have the opportunity to set their world right again. A victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane, and they will be level with their rivals on points and nipping at the heels of Leicester once again. Next weekend Arsenal can erase the vast majority of their Manchester United failure.

Related Story: 5 things we learned from Barcelona versus Arsenal

Petr Cech was forced to make a painful admission in the aftermath of his club’s loss to Manchester United, but he might be able to reverse course next weekend. Then again, he may be forced to admit something even more painful next weekend, that the gap between Arsenal and the top of the Premier League table has grown too wide to overcome.

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