COMMENT: How things can change in football.
Arsenal fans rejoiced when the club announced they had signed Petr Cech from Chelsea back in May, hailing the 33-year-old as the final piece of the jigsaw.
That jubilation continued when Cech kept a clean sheet against his old club in the Charity Shield at Wembley a fortnight ago.
Yet a week later, Cech was one of several villains in the eyes of Gunners fans, after a disappointing display in a 2-0 home defeat to West Ham United to kick off the 2015/16 Premier League season.
Far from being the only Gunner to blame, no one counts Cech as solely responsible for the surprise loss. Although, there is also no-one who thinks he couldn't have done better with the two goals that were conceded.
First came Cheikhou Kouyate's header in the 43rd minute. There is no doubt Arsenal's defence left their new goalkeeper high and dry in this instance, with the Senegalese international left wide open to head into an open net from 12 yards.
One could argue that Kouyate would have scored had Cech not come out to punch the ball as he did, although it could also be said that by coming out, Cech simply had to make contact with the ball.
If there was any uncertainty over the first goal, there can be no doubting the goalkeeper's fault at the second. Mauro Zarate struck a well-placed but fairly tame shot down low to Cech's right.
Arsenal's £10milliom recruit appeared to wrong-foot himself, and the ball found its way into the back of the net.
The critics have come from everywhere in the past week, but seven days is a long time in football, just as we've seen this season already.
Cech has another chance to get it right this Sunday against Crystal Palace, and although a rejuvenated Eagles side under Alan Pardrew represent a real threat, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Plzen native won't put in a performance like he did against West Ham two weeks in a row.
Let's not forget, this is a man who has been in goal for three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and a Champions League triumph, and once went 1,025 minutes of competitive football without conceding a goal. Only a man devoid of sanity would write Cech and Arsenal off at this point.
It took only two shaky moments for the bubble of pre-season optimism at Arsenal to pop last weekend, but football is a fickle game and don't be surprised if all it takes is one solid game between the sticks for all that optimism to come back for both Arsenal and their prized asset.
