Petr Cech Will Start for Arsenal Against Chelsea in EPL, Says Unai Emery

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has said that Petr Cech will start ahead of Bernd Leno on Saturday in the Gunners' Premier League meeting with Chelsea.

Cech struggled in Arsenal's season opener against Manchester City, with Emery evidently intent on his goalkeepers playing out from the back. Despite a few loose balls and narrowly avoiding netting a comical own goal, Emery appears ready to stick with the 36-year-old, per John Cross of the Daily Mirror.

"They are two goalkeepers who are important for us," Emery said. "They have different qualities but for us in the way we want to play, they can [both] play. For Saturday, the decision for me is easy. Petr Cech can continue to start the match, I believe in him. [But] If Bernd starts, I believe in him also."

James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images

Although Cech could do little about the goals scored by Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva during the game, the goalkeeper did appear to be uneasy with the ball at his feet.

Following the widespread criticism he received, Cech posted the following message on social media:

Leno's former club, Bayer Leverkusen, also poked fun at Cech on Twitter, as they posted a clip of a sweeping counter-attack they had scored in which the German international gets the move going with some savvy distribution from the back.

For some, it was a surprise to see Cech begin the game against City following the arrival of Leno. In addition to his struggles when asked to play out, the former Chelsea man showcased signs of slowing down last season, making some costly errors for his team.

These figures put the mistakes made by the 36-year-old into some context:

Leno is by no means error-free, having made a fair share of clangers himself during his time in the Bundesliga. But of the two goalkeepers, he seems better suited for Emery's setup.

After all, he's in what should be the peak years of his career, is comfortable when asked to be a sweeper 'keeper and is clearly a player with more longevity than his rival for the starting berth. With that in mind, delaying his competitive debut will continue to raise eyebrows among some sections of the Arsenal fanbase.

Arsenal writer Tim Stillman doesn't feel as though there is a need to be overly patient when it comes to the German international:

Following their Week 1 loss, the trip to Stamford Bridge is an important game for Emery, as he'll be desperate to avoid back-to-back defeats at the start of his Arsenal tenure. With that in mind, the experience Cech has may be more preferable in what is poised to be a hostile atmosphere for the visitors.

Still, it feels inevitable that Leno will take over as the starting goalkeeper in the coming weeks. If Cech turns in a performance akin to the one we witnessed at the Emirates on Sunday, that changing of the guard may come around against West Ham in their third game of the campaign.