Mikel Arteta has revealed the extraordinary lengths he went to during pre-season to prepare his Arsenal players for unexpected disruption.
The Gunners boss deliberately delayed team transport and meals, changed planned routes, reduced the number of massage beds and increased the temperature inside dressing rooms.
Arteta introduced the unusual measures to test how his squad and staff would react when their carefully arranged matchday routines were suddenly disturbed.
The methods proved particularly relevant this week when Arsenal’s journey to Italy for their Champions League opener against Napoli was affected by widespread air traffic control problems.
Thousands of flights were delayed or cancelled on Tuesday, with the Premier League champions among those caught up in the chaos.
Arsenal eventually reached Naples before securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory, leaving Arteta delighted with the way his players handled the disruption.
“I love those challenges, I try to create them in pre-season,” the Spaniard said.
“So when they happen, we already experience them and we already know.
Mikel Arteta has revealed the extraordinary lengths he went to during pre-season to prepare his Arsenal players for unexpected disruption
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GETTY
“So get to the stadium very late, change the routine and suddenly the players have to do something else.
“Because when it happens, and it can happen, you can miss the flight, the train can be delayed, there’s so much traffic and I don’t want the players, but not only the players, the staff as well, panicking.
“When that happens, adapt to it. Okay, we have another two or three hours on the plane. How can we use them, play together, spend some time together, sleep?
“Use it, but certainly don’t complain and then use it as an excuse because that’s not helpful at all.”
Martin Odegaard was the difference as Arsenal battled their way to a 1-0 win over Napoli earlier this week
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GETTYArteta then detailed some of the obstacles he had deliberately placed in front of his squad during their summer preparations.
“Just delaying the meals, delaying the transport, taking a different route,” he explained.
“We’ve done many things, made the dressing room hotter, more difficult, more challenging, less beds.
“Those kind of things, I think, in my opinion, because we’re going to have to adapt to different contexts, and we’ll try to anticipate it and create the best possible conditions.
“But when there is not that element of surprise or stress on matchday, I think it’s important.”
Arteta has developed a reputation for using unconventional techniques since taking charge at the Emirates Stadium.
He famously played “You’ll Never Walk Alone” through speakers during training before Arsenal visited Liverpool in 2021, although that experiment failed to prevent a 4-0 defeat at Anfield.
The 44-year-old has also introduced a club dog named Win and previously hired professional pickpockets to secretly take valuables from players during a team dinner, hoping to teach them to remain alert.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are ready to dominate this season | REUTERS
His approach has occasionally attracted ridicule, but Arteta answered his critics by guiding Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years last season.
The champions have started their defence impressively and travel to Sunderland on Saturday night level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table.
Arsenal and City are the only teams to have won all three of their opening league fixtures.
With Napoli successfully negotiated despite the travel chaos, Arteta will be confident his side can continue their winning start.
