Čech was given the captain's armband for Arsenal in their 4–3 opening day home loss to Liverpool. In September 2016, he featured for the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 rout by Arsenal of his former side Chelsea at the Emirates. On 24 April 2017, Čech played in the 2016–17 FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley, which Arsenal won 2–1. During this season, Cech received mild criticism among Arsenal fans for his inability to play with the ball at his feet but meanwhile he had the third most clearances among all goalkeepers in Premier League with 11 which manifested his transformation into a "sweeper keeper". Čech again held the captain's armband on 10 May 2017 in a 2–0 win over Southampton at the St Mary's Stadium. Čech was sidelined for the FA Cup Final due to injury, but Arsenal beat Chelsea 2–1. Čech won his fifth FA Cup, and Arsenal became the most successful club in the history of the competition with 13 tournament wins.