‘Delay the meals’: Mikel Arteta reveals latest maverick Arsenal methods
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed he deliberately sets his players unusual challenges, such as delaying meals before matches and overheating the dressing room, to prepare them for unexpected disruptions on matchdays. The comments follow Arsenal's flight to Naples for their Champions League opener against Napoli being delayed by more than five hours, forcing Arteta to cancel his pre-match press conference; despite the disruption, Arsenal still won thanks to a second-half goal from Martin Ødegaard, extending their unbeaten run in the competition's league stage to 13 matches.
Arteta, known for eccentric methods including using pickpockets in pre-season training and piping in artificial crowd noise ahead of a trip to Anfield, said he tries to recreate stressful scenarios during pre-season so players learn to adapt rather than panic. He listed tactics such as delaying transport, taking different routes, making the dressing room "hotter" and "more challenging", and removing massage beds. Arsenal now travel to Sunderland looking to maintain their 100% start to the season, with Arteta also addressing contrasting reactions to summer departures, praising Leandro Trossard's return to a warm reception at the Emirates while noting Gabriel Jesus felt he had been given no explanation before his move to Barcelona.
- Arteta deliberately creates matchday stress, like delayed meals, to build resilience.
- Arsenal beat Napoli despite a five-hour flight delay, extending European run to 13 wins.
- Arsenal next face Sunderland, aiming to keep their unbeaten start to the season.
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Arsenal are one of the most successful clubs in English football, currently managed by Spaniard Mikel Arteta, a former Arsenal player who took charge in 2019. He has built a reputation for unconventional training methods designed to keep players sharp and adaptable, alongside more orthodox work improving the team's results in the Premier League and Champions League, Europe's top club competition.
Arteta is known for testing his squad with staged disruptions, such as unexpected changes to routine, unusual noise, or altered surroundings, to help players cope calmly if things go wrong on a matchday. This approach has drawn attention partly because Arsenal have had a strong recent run in the Champions League, and partly because such methods are unusual compared with more traditional football coaching.
The club has also seen several senior players leave or return in recent transfer windows, which shapes squad morale and how supporters react to individual players. Understanding Arteta's methods and the club's current squad situation helps explain why incidents like matchday disruptions, and the way the team responds to them, attract wider interest.