Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is known for his innovative – often unorthodox – methods to motivate his players.
So when a fire was lit at the club’s London Colney training ground earlier this week, it was assumed the Spaniard had pulled off another of his tricks.
But this time it was not Arteta that was behind the stunt, as others took it upon themselves to rouse the squad before a defining week in the Spaniard’s tenure.
On Wednesday, they hosted Sporting in the Champions League and secured a place in the semi-finals. Next up is a visit to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday – their closest challengers in the title race.
“Every game we use different themes to try to prepare the game in the best possible way and that depends on what we do,” said Arteta.
“The best ones are the players’ initiatives. That’s the ones I love the most.”
Having last won a trophy in 2020 with the FA Cup, during Arteta’s first season in charge, and not being league champions for 22 years, the pressure has intensified to deliver success.
Before the midweek tie against Sporting, Arteta asked his side to play with “pure fire” – though ultimately, they limped to the semi-finals with a 0-0 draw.
“No fear, pure fire. That’s it,” he said before the game.
“Pure fire, that’s what I want to see from the players, the people, myself.”
