Mikel Arteta has revealed that he intentionally created difficult scenarios during Arsenal's pre-season preparations, deliberately disrupting routines to ensure his players would be mentally equipped to handle unexpected problems when travelling to away matches.
The Arsenal manager's unconventional approach to team preparation came into sharp focus during the club's midweek Champions League fixture against Napoli, when a UK air traffic control incident caused significant disruption to their flight. The team was scheduled to depart Luton Airport at approximately 3pm on Tuesday but faced substantial delays, arriving in the Italian city roughly three hours behind schedule.
When discussing how his squad coped with the disruption, Arteta explained the philosophy underpinning his pre-season strategy.
I love those challenges. I tried to create them in pre-season!he said.
So when they happen, we know how to experience them and we already know.
The specific measures Arteta employed to stress-test his players during the summer included deliberately altering their usual routines.
Get to the stadium very late, change the routine so the players have to do something else. When it happens, and it can: the flight can be cancelled, or the train is delayed, there is so much traffic, I don't want the players and staff panicking.
According to Sky Sports reporting on Arteta's comments, the manager's pre-season disruptions extended to the physical environment and logistical arrangements.
Just delaying the meals, delaying the transport, taking a different route. We've done many things.Arteta explained.
Make the dressing room hotter, more difficult, more challenging, less beds. Those kinds of things because we're going to have to adapt to different contexts.
The rationale behind this unconventional training methodology is rooted in Arteta's belief that exposure to adversity during preparation translates into composure during actual competition.
When that happens, adapt to it. We have two or three hours on the plane - can we use it? Play together, spend some time together, sleep.he said.
But don't complain or use it as an excuse because it's not helpful at all.
Arteta emphasised that anticipating and preparing for difficult conditions is essential to his coaching philosophy.
We will try to anticipate this and adapt to difficult conditions. When there's no element of surprise or stress on a matchday, I think it's important.
The Naples trip itself proved to be a real-world test of this preparation. Arsenal were expected to arrive around 9:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday following the delay, with the disruption affecting hundreds of flights across the UK. The travel complications forced Arteta to cancel his scheduled pre-match press conference, as the team's arrival was significantly behind schedule.
The wider air traffic control crisis that impacted Arsenal's journey highlighted the unpredictability of modern football travel, particularly for European competitions. By deliberately introducing controlled chaos during pre-season, Arteta has attempted to ensure his players possess the mental resilience and adaptability required to perform at their best regardless of external circumstances.
What comes next for Arsenal
Arsenal's next fixture follows their Champions League encounter with Napoli, with the club scheduled to face Sunderland away on Saturday, 12 September 2026, at 8:00 PM in the domestic league.
