Petr Cech expressed his relief as his first clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches secured a landmark in the competition.
After reaching 199 clean sheets in a 1-0 win over Newcastle United on 16 December, the Arsenal goalkeeper conceded in each of his next 11 top-flight matches.
But the 35-year-old became the first goalkeeper to reach 200 PL clean sheets on Sunday, making a first penalty save in Arsenal colours to reach the double-century in a 3-0 win over Watford.
“It’s been a while and I have to say that it’s never happened that I’ve had to wait 11 games for a clean sheet,” Cech told Arsenal's official website.
Petr Cech's PL clean sheets
| Club | Clean sheets | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 162 | 333 |
| Arsenal | 38 | 99 |
“In the stretch it was quite frustrating at times.
"Sometimes you go through stretches like that as a team, as an individual, and obviously you have to find your way out.”
His manager also paid a personal tribute to the Czech.
"I have a huge respect for consistency," Arsene Wenger said. "It shows a huge level of motivation and intelligence, and he shows plenty of that."