Arsene Wenger fears the day he lost Petr Cech to Chelsea in 2004 triggered the club's infamously lean trophyless spell

Looking back, Arsene Wenger laments the days leading up to February 9, 2004 stronger than most. Arsenal had pushed hard to coax a 21-year-old goalkeeper owning a burgeoning reputation to London and believed they may well have a deal sewn.
Wenger retained the trust of the player’s representative, Frederic Dobraje, and had already signed two of his clients - Robert Pires and Pascal Cygan. It appeared Rennes’ Petr Cech would be on his way.The club, however, had not banked on Chelsea stealing a march, sorting a £9million transfer for the upcoming summer and depriving Arsenal of a ready-made replacement for David Seaman.
Wenger is of the mind that those hours dallying - as Roman Abramovich performed speedy business - triggered the infamously lean trophyless spell with which the club has not yet fully recovered. Arsenal last won the Premier League three months after Cech’s arrival at Stamford Bridge was announced; they ended waiting 11 years for his signature.‘Sometimes he comes to my mind and it makes me just think I missed him when he was at Rennes, and how that could’ve changed for us had we signed him,’ Wenger said. ‘We could’ve been quicker than Chelsea on the day. We weren’t sharp enough.’