Petr Cech talks about one of the best saves of his career in the FA Cup final

Petr Čech has won numerous team trophies and made countless saves in important matches. However, there is one thing the Czech goalkeeper remembers very precisely. It is the save from the FA Cup final that saved his Chelsea side from going into extra time with final opponents Liverpool.

It was the 82nd minute of the FA Cup final match between Chelsea and Liverpool, in which Chelsea held a 2-1 lead. As the game drew to a close, Liverpool stepped up the pressure and pushed for an equaliser.

Andy Carrol came very close to doing so, as he put in a header after a centre from the right and headed the ball between the three posts. However, Petr Čech made a miraculous save on the goal line to deny the opposing striker.

For a while it seemed that the ball was already behind the goal line, Carrol was already rejoicing with his teammates for the goal. But the substitute referee ruled that the ball had not crossed the line.

This was an extremely important save by the Czech goalkeeper, as this goal would have sent the Cup Final into extra time. Thus, Chelsea kept the lead and enjoyed the triumph.

How does goalkeeper Petr Čech himself remember this save in hindsight? “Before the centre I knew where the biggest threat was and it was at the back post. I knew that Andy Carrol was there. As soon as the centre came out, all I had in my head was that I had to move as quickly as possible because Carrol was in the whitewash ready to head,” Petr Čech recalled in an interview .

“The key was to time the tackle correctly, my reaction was perfect. When the ball was flying, I knew I had to punch it up. It was the only way to get the ball out of the goal line,” Petr Čech returns to the key moments of the intervention.

He adds that he had no doubt that the ball had not crossed the line yet. “I was sure of it. If the ball had been over the line, it would have gone back into the net from the crossbar. When you look back at it, you can see a small part of the ball that is not behind the line,” the former national goalkeeper said.

He also praised the assistant referee for his verdict. “It was a great decision by the linesman. He was under a lot of pressure, in front of the Liverpool fans. After the match I also praised him,” Petr Čech concluded.

Sources: Tribuna, YouTube, FA Cup