Petr Cech reveals what irks him most about Arsene Wenger

To ease fatigue and in order to instil confidence in players, it’s a regular feature of Arsene Wenger’s strategy to chop and change the formation and personnel for domestic and European competitions, and although Petr Cech is the undisputed number one at the Gunners, he’s often swapped between the sticks by the French tactician for David Ospina, an occasional rotational occurrence which ‘frustrates’ the towering Czech stopper.

Ospina is effectively Cech’s Premier League understudy, with the former Chelsea man dictating the 18-yard box during the domestic schedule, however for the Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup, it’s the Colombian ‘keeper which takes to the turf ahead of the somewhat irked 35-year-old.

One notable instance of tournament favouritism was during the latter stages of last term’s FA Cup, where Cech, because of an injury to Ospina, was elected to keep guard of the target against Lincoln City in the quarter-final and Manchester City in the semi-final, although Ospina was fit again once the final rolled around, so, subsequently, normality resumed at Cech returned to the substitutes bench.

Wenger is a seasoned commander and understands how to contain and condition a squad but Cech, despite the fact that he fundamentally ‘respects’ ‘Le Prof’s’ decisions, can’t mask his ‘frustration’ in not being selected for every game possible.

Speaking to the BBC – via a report published by the Sunday Express – the veteran goalkeeper said: “Well you have to respect the way your manager sets up the team or what he plans for the season,

“Obviously I had known prior to the season that David will play the FA Cup games.

“Obviously (it frustrates me), I would love to play the competition as well. But you have to respect the manager’s decisions.

“But I ended up playing the quarter-final and semi-final and I didn’t play the final. So I had some part in the process.

“I think it’s about respecting your colleague and respecting your coach’s decision.

“Obviously you can tell you would want it the other way but the decision’s with the coach.”