LONDON (AP):

After Petr Cech's opening-day blunders proved so costly for Arsenal, the veteran goalkeeper demonstrated against Liverpool why he will be an asset rather than a liability for his new team.

A 0-0 draw at home might seem frustrating for a side longing to end a 12-year wait for a Premier League title, but without Cech's assured presence in goal it could have been back-to-back home losses at the start of the season for the first time in 66 years at Arsenal.

A daring block at the feet of Christian Benteke was followed by Philippe Coutinho's strike being tipped on to the post by Cech making the slightest of touches at full stretch.

With a fragile, makeshift defence in front of him, Cech was required to compensate for those vulnerabilities - rather than gifting goals as he did two weeks ago against West Ham in his first league game since the $17-million switch across London from Chelsea.

But with the Gunners so ineffective up front, the draw left them with four points from a possible nine at the start of the season, far from the form that will see them threaten to win the title for the first time since 2004.

It was Arsenal's first clean sheet of the season, but a third for Liverpool. Although Liverpool has seven points, the irritation for the visitors was their inability to make it three wins out of three as they chase a return to the Champions League by finishing in the top four.

Injury setback

The opportunity was there, with injuries denying Arsenal its first-choice centre back partnership of Per Mertesacker (illness) and Laurent (back). In came Calum Chambers, whose hesitancy compounded the collective unease in Arsenal's defence, alongside Gabriel.

Five minutes before half time, Benteke was primed to score when Roberto Firmino - making his first start for Liverpool - squared the ball to the Belgium striker. But Cech was at full stretch on the ground to block a tap-in from Benteke.

A finer save followed before half time. Coutinho befuddled Hector Bellerin on the left flank, twisting around the defender, before flashing a shot that Cech diverted on to the post.