Petr Čech sets new Chelsea record for clean sheets
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Petr Čech has become the goalkeeper to have kept the highest number of clean sheets in Chelsea history, surpassing a club record that was set by Peter Bonetti in 1979.
With the Blues not conceding a goal in the 2-0 win at Hull City, it was the 209th time Čech had played in a shut-out performance, beating the 208 clean sheets recorded by Bonetti in his long and distinguished Chelsea career that spanned 1959 to 1979.
"It is a great personal achievement, a great milestone but I believe this number can grow and hopefully it will help us win another trophy," Čech told the club's website.
"The most important thing today was to get the three points but I was thinking in the second half I still have the clean sheet and in the end we had both the points and the clean sheet.
At an average of one clean sheet in every two league matches, his ratio is currently also the best in Premier League history, marginally ahead of both David Seaman and Peter Schmeichel.
The 31-year-old continued: "I am still young, I can keep playing and I hope I will so I can add some more clean sheets and we will see where the final number will stop."
Čech is now just 20 behind the Premier League record of 170 clean sheets currently held by former England goalkeeper David James.
"Petr is almost 10 years playing at the top and there has been clean sheet after clean sheet," said Chelsea boss José Mourinho.
"At this moment he beats the record of Mr Bonetti but I think probably next year he will beat the record of the Premier League.
Of all the hundreds of millions of pounds pumped into the club by Russian owner Roman Abramovich, the seven million paid to Rennes for Čech in 2004 have arguably offered the greatest return.
Mourinho added: "He becomes a historic figure in the Premier League because all his career has been here since 2004.
"Also playing with Chelsea he has a lot of appearances and the best stage for a goalkeeper I think is between 30 and 35."
Bonetti, who also worked as a goalkeeper coach at Chelsea during the 1980s, reacted to Cech's achievement with praise for his successor.
He said: "Petr Čech has been brilliant to do what he's done, he's one of the best goalkeepers I've seen. His record speaks for itself.
"I admire him greatly, he's been incredible, and still has a long time to go. He is relatively young and could still go on to break more and more records."
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| Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech has overtaken Peter Bonetti's club record of 208 clean sheets Photo: Getty Images |
With the Blues not conceding a goal in the 2-0 win at Hull City, it was the 209th time Čech had played in a shut-out performance, beating the 208 clean sheets recorded by Bonetti in his long and distinguished Chelsea career that spanned 1959 to 1979.
"It is a great personal achievement, a great milestone but I believe this number can grow and hopefully it will help us win another trophy," Čech told the club's website.
"The most important thing today was to get the three points but I was thinking in the second half I still have the clean sheet and in the end we had both the points and the clean sheet.
At an average of one clean sheet in every two league matches, his ratio is currently also the best in Premier League history, marginally ahead of both David Seaman and Peter Schmeichel.
The 31-year-old continued: "I am still young, I can keep playing and I hope I will so I can add some more clean sheets and we will see where the final number will stop."
Čech is now just 20 behind the Premier League record of 170 clean sheets currently held by former England goalkeeper David James.
"Petr is almost 10 years playing at the top and there has been clean sheet after clean sheet," said Chelsea boss José Mourinho.
"At this moment he beats the record of Mr Bonetti but I think probably next year he will beat the record of the Premier League.
Of all the hundreds of millions of pounds pumped into the club by Russian owner Roman Abramovich, the seven million paid to Rennes for Čech in 2004 have arguably offered the greatest return.
Mourinho added: "He becomes a historic figure in the Premier League because all his career has been here since 2004.
"Also playing with Chelsea he has a lot of appearances and the best stage for a goalkeeper I think is between 30 and 35."
Bonetti, who also worked as a goalkeeper coach at Chelsea during the 1980s, reacted to Cech's achievement with praise for his successor.
He said: "Petr Čech has been brilliant to do what he's done, he's one of the best goalkeepers I've seen. His record speaks for itself.
"I admire him greatly, he's been incredible, and still has a long time to go. He is relatively young and could still go on to break more and more records."
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