Heurelho Gomes, ex-Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, believes that Arsenal have signed one of the best players in England – Petr Cech.
Speaking ahead of the Watford game, Gomes – who now employs his trade as a shot-stopper for the Hornets – believes that Cech would be fundamental in winning them games along the way, much like a striker does.
I believe he is like a striker for them in that he will help them win many games. He has the experience to help them; he knows how to win the competition [Premier League].
He is one of the best in England and of course it was a great signing for Arsenal.
He didn’t stop there, as the Brazilian was full of praise for the Gunners, almost two weeks after their 3-0 dismantling of title rivals Manchester United.
In quotes that will not go down well with Arsenal’s north London neighbours, Gomes said that the Gunners are one of the biggest in the country.
Of course it is always good to play against good teams and Arsenal I believe is one of the biggest in England.
I think they have a strong squad, a squad that has played together for a long time. They are title contenders and they can win the competition, although it’s too early to say that even though they have a big possibility to win the title.
Gomes has enjoyed an assured start to new life at Watford after leaving Tottenham in acrimonious circumstances, when he said he wouldn’t recommend the club to anyone.
However, that did not stop him from being reminiscent about his time at the Lilywhites, when the rivalry with Arsenal was quite obviously bigger.
Gomes’ newly promoted side have worked hard to erase prejudices of being relegated, by driving six points clear from the last three, but that did not stop him from stressing the fact that getting points on the board was the ulterior motive, especially following Watford’s bright start.
During my time at Tottenham the rivalry was bigger than it is against Watford, but we still need to get points all the same.
When you play a very good team it is important to look forward to it and it is great to be part of a game like this.
They have great players. Sanchez is on fire at the moment and he is the one to watch at the moment, although I believe we need to be careful not just against him, but all the players.
Arsenal can play good football; they play on the ground and counter-attack well. We will need to be alert all the time.
After putting together a string of performances as the first-choice goalkeeper – the highlight of which was his last-minute penalty save against Bournemouth, it seems that Gomes is coming into the form that made him a prospect at PSV Eindhoven in the first place.
But the footballing veteran is keeping calm and modest, reiterating that his personality can only improve after being in the Premier League, following extended loan spells to 1899 Hoffenheim.
There are lots of top goalkeepers in the Premier League.
Cech is one of them; Joe Hart is another one; Hugo Lloris is another one. Tim Krul is injured now, but he is a great goalkeeper and [Thibaut] Courtois at Chelsea and [David] De Gea from Manchester United. They are all great goalkeepers and I learn from them.
In this league, there is a new thing you have to adapt to every day. You need to watch the best goalkeepers to become the best you can and you need to use your experience.
