Mikel Arteta uses environmental challenges to prepare Arsenal for Champions League matches

The Arsenal manager revealed that meals, transport and dressing-room routines have all been altered deliberately so the squad learns to adapt when plans go wrong.Photo by James Fearn/Getty ImagesMikel...

Mikel Arteta has revealed he deliberately disrupted Arsenal’s pre-season preparations to teach his players how to cope when things go wrong.The Premier League champions arrived in Naples around thre...

Mikel Arteta has revealed he sets challenges for his Arsenal players including delaying their meals and turning up the heat in the dressing room in a bid to keep them focused.Asked how else he puts his players in difficult circumstances, Arteta said: "(We have) delayed the meals, delayed the transport, taken a different route.

Manager wants players to cope with things going wrong Other tactics include making dressing room even hotter Mikel Arteta has revealed that he likes to set players challenges, such as delaying their meals before matches and making the dressing room hotter, to ensure they are fully prepared for any eventuality. Arsenal’s flight to Italy for their Champions League opener against Napoli this week was delayed for more than five hours, with Arteta forced to cancel his pre-match press conference after the squad arrived in Naples just before 10pm local time. The disruption proved no handicap as they made it 13 successive league-stage victories in Europe, thanks to Martin Ødegaard’s second-half winner. Continue reading...