Wednesday 21 October 2015 13:09, UK
Goalkeeper Petr Cech insists Arsenal's collective team effort rather than his saves was the key to conquering Bayern Munich.
Cech was in supreme form on Tuesday night to keep the Gunners in the game before two late goals secured a 2-0 victory over the Germans to reignite their hopes in the Champions League.
The result could have been very different but for the intervention of Cech, the former Chelsea man producing a fine performance in place of the injured David Ospina, at fault for one of the goals in the 3-2 home defeat by Olympiacos last month.
"Everybody was doing their bit and I was trying to do my bit," said the 33-year-old, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012/13.
Cech, making his first Champions League appearance for Arsenal this season after sitting out defeats to Dinamo Zgreb and Olympiakos, made a fine save to deny Thiago Alcantara and then deflected over a close-range shot form Robert Lewandowski before substitute Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil scored in the final 13 minutes.
"I am pleased with my performance because whenever they managed to get through our defensive block I was there to help my team-mates, but I am pleased with the team's performance as I thought we had been up for the game," he added.
"Obviously if Thiago had scored early in the game then they would have had control of the game, so it was a very important save at the start.
"Then I am obviously glad I made the save against Lewandowski as in that moment we could have been 1-0 down, instead in a few minutes we were 1-0 up and that basically decided the game."
Arsenal remain bottom of Group F on head-to-head record, but are now level on points with Dinamo Zagreb, who have a minus five goal difference.
The English side travel to Germany next month and will need other results to go their way to stay on course for the knockout stages, with Olympiacos having won 1-0 away to Dinamo to move on to six points, the same as Bayern.
Cech said: "Obviously we are back in the game (for qualification), but our position has not changed much as Olympiacos won their game and obviously that have the home advantage in the next leg (against Dinamo) so we still need more points.
"We go to Munich knowing we can compete with them and we are positive that we are going in another game where we can get points and obviously it will depend on how the game will go, but it has been a great night here and so let's see what will happen in the future."
QPR keeper Rob Green believes Chelsea were reluctant to allow Cech to leave Stamford Bridge and believes his fellow No 1 will prove to be a vital part of Arsenal's season.
Green told Sky Sports News HQ: "Cech had a difficult debut, but after that he has shown what a quality goalkeeper he really is. They are all fantastic saves, he just shows what a difference a good goalkeeper can make.
"Chelsea were in a difficult position obviously with the form of Thibault Courtois, the potential longevity of his career being there. They made that decision.
"It's more out of respect for Petr Cech and what he has done for Chelsea that they decided to let him go. He is proving his worth for Arsenal."
