Petr Cech Explains What Chelsea Goalkeeper Should’ve Done to Save Lerma’s Wonder Goal

• Petr Cech has insisted that Dorde Petrovic could have done better to save Crystal Place's goal
• Jefferson Lerma fired Palace ahead with one of the best goals of the season on Monday night
• Chelsea, however, recovered from the goal to beat the Eagles 3-1 to return to the top half

Petr Cech brilliantly rolled back the years to explain what he would have done to save Crystal Palace's beautiful strike against Chelsea on February 12.

Chelsea made the trip across London to face an equally troubled Roy Hodgson side. Jefferson Lerma broke the deadlock after the half-hour mark with one of the purest strikes you will ever see.

Noni Madueke and Moises Caicedo fumbled in clearing the ball, with Lerma pouncing on the ball just outside the area. The Colombian international unleashed a strike from way out that curled beyond Đorđe Petrović's reach.

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It was a goal that any layman would credit the goalscorer and sympathise with the goalkeeper, but Cech felt that Petrovic could have done better.

Cech: What Petrovic should have done

Appearing on Sky Sports Monday Night Football, the Blues legend carefully broke down what the Serbian international ought to have done to deny Lerma.

"In the two philosophies you see in modern goalkeeping. You either step up, close the angle, and have a little bit less reaction time. Or you actually drop really deep, almost on your goalline, and you have more time to react."

Cech faulted the current Chelsea number 1 for dropping deep, creating more space between him and the shot. The 2012 Champions League winner explained that he would have stepped forward to cut the ball's flight.

"When you see Petrovic now, he drops on the goalline to create that gap between the player. I would be higher for the laces shot from the distance. And obviously, I would have a better chance to cut the flight of the ball."

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Luckily for Mauricio Pochettino, his side mounted a second-half comeback. Conor Gallagher pulled them level just after the break before scoring his second in stoppage time. Enzo Fernandez added a third one as Palace collapsed in the final minutes of the game.

The win takes Chelsea 10th on the Premier League table while Palace are just five points above the relegation zone.

How Petr Cech became a Chelsea legend

Chelsea recently marked 20 years since signing Cech for just £7 from Stade Rennais. As Sports Brief reported, it proved to be one of the best pieces of business in the Roman Abramovich era, with the Czech international becoming a legend at the club.

In his first season, he kept 24 clean sheets, conceding only 15 times as Jose Mourinho's side won their first Premier League title in 50 years.

He retired in 2019 after a four-year spell at Chelsea's rivals, Arsenal.