Petr
Cech made a winning return to action in his first match since the Europa
League final in May 2019 as Chelsea U23 came from 2-0 down to beat Tottenham
3-2.
It was Cech's first game since retiring as an Arsenal goalkeeper before his
return to Chelsea as the club's technical and performance director in June
2019.
The 38-year-old has been training with the senior team this season and was
named in Chelsea's 25-man Premier League squad in September as an emergency
goalkeeper.
His evening did not get off to the best of starts, though, as he conceded
after just three minutes at the Kingsmeadow stadium after his first touch
was inadvertently passed out for a corner which led to the opening goal from
Spurs defender Jubril Okedina.
Fifteen minutes later, Cech conceded a second from Dane Scarlett's header as
Tottenham took a 2-0 lead.
Chelsea turned it around in the second half with two goals in three minutes;
a penalty from Myles Peart-Harris and Marcel Lewis' strike.
With the scores level, both teams then had a man sent off when 16-year-old
Alfie Devine lunged at Chelsea's Danny Drinkwater and the 30-year-old
Premier League winner reacted by kicking out at the Spurs youngster.
With it now 10 vs 10, Chelsea went on to win the match as Peart-Harris
struck the decisive goal in the 88th minute to make it 3-2.
Lampard: Cech's PL inclusion a no-brainer
Frank Lampard said including Petr Cech in Chelsea's 25-man Premier League
squad made sense.
The Chelsea head coach named his former team-mate as an emergency
goalkeeper.
Cech took up a position as a non-contract player in a precautionary step due
to worries about selection which could be caused by Covid-19.
Lampard told Chelsea's official website: "We had a space in the squad, we
know this year looks like no other because of Covid and what it might do to
selection and isolation through the year, so it was a very easy decision.
"Pete (Petr Cech) still does his day job but he is there if we need him.
"He is very fit, he is still relatively young, he probably could have
carried on playing."
Cech won 13 major trophies, including four Premier League titles and the
Champions League during his 11 years at Chelsea.
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