Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech predicts 'twist' to get Gunners back into Premier League title race after Saints draw

Arsenal have won just once in 2016 but Cech believes there is still plenty of time for Arsenal to catch Premier League leaders Leicester

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech in action during the 0-0 draw with Southampton (Getty Images)

Petr Cech knows what is needed to win Barclays Premier League titles and the Arsenal goalkeeper reckons there will still be a twist in the tale this season after the Gunners continued to slip down the table.

Southampton, inspired by goalkeeper Fraser Forster, left the Emirates Stadium with a point on Tuesday night after a 0-0 draw which leaves Arsenal fourth in the standings and five points adrift of leaders Leicester.

The result also means Arsene Wenger's side have won just one league game in 2016, taking just three points from their last four league outings.

The Frenchman was again left frustrated and several newspapers reported a tunnel spat with referee Lee Mason and Saints boss Ronald Koeman at full-time following their third draw in four games.

That form has seen Arsenal drop from the position of league leaders at the turn of the year to fourth place, with Manchester City and fierce rivals Tottenham now above them in the standings.

But Cech, who won four league titles during his trophy-laden years at Chelsea, insists there will be more drama between now and the end of the season and Arsenal will be working hard to remain firmly in the title picture.

"There is a long way to go and there is always a twist in the tale," he said.

"You keep working hard every day and try to keep getting results. If we believe then I think we can still do it - there are more than enough games to put ourselves back at the top of the league so we will work for that."

"We had a position where we could only look at ourselves but now we are behind so we need some of the results to go our way.

"These are two points lost. It is not ideal to drop two points at home but it was one of those games where we deserved more."

While Cech recently became the record setter for Premier League clean sheets, his counterpart Forster was the undoubted man of the match on Tuesday night.

Arsenal had 11 shots on target during the game and the England goalkeeper, who is yet to concede in four games since returning from a 10-month injury lay-off, did superbly to deny the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud.

And Cech believes Forster was the difference between Arsenal not sealing a morale-boosting victory over the side that beat them 4-0 on Boxing Day.

"Fraser Forster robbed a point from us because it was only thanks to him they got a draw here," he added.

"They did really well in the first half but in the second half we did much better and created a lot of chances, probably the most we have at home this season."

For Ronald Koeman's Saints, the point continued a rejuvenation of their season and they have now gone four games without defeat.

Cedric Soares was part of the defence which assisted Forster in keeping another clean sheet and was keen to praise the whole back line as well as Southampton's headline maker.

"It was a very good game from Fraser, he helped us a lot, but also we were strong defensively and we were compact," he told saintsfc.co.uk

"We know that was a difficult game, we were aware of that, because they have fantastic players, but Fraser did fantastic and all the team did.

"It's one more clean sheet and in the end it's very good for us. Our team is very strong and I think we can have a word in the league."

PA