Mikel Arteta has revealed that he intentionally created difficult scenarios during Arsenal's pre-season preparations, deliberately introducing obstacles that mirror the kind of disruptions his squad might face during competitive fixtures.
The Arsenal manager's comments came in the wake of the club's journey to Naples for their Champions League encounter against Napoli, when the team experienced significant delays. According to The Guardian, a UK air traffic control incident caused widespread disruption across the country, forcing Arsenal to depart Luton Airport considerably later than their scheduled 3pm departure on Tuesday. The disruption affected hundreds of flights across the UK, and the club was expected to arrive around 9:30 p.m. local time.
Rather than viewing such setbacks as mere misfortune, Arteta has taken a proactive approach to preparing his players mentally and operationally for the unexpected.
I love those challenges. I tried to create them in pre-season!he explained when discussing how his squad coped with the travel disruption.
The specific measures Arteta employed during pre-season training were wide-ranging and deliberately designed to create discomfort. According to Sky Sports, these included deliberately delaying meal times, altering transport routes to make journeys longer, and intentionally making the changing room hotter than normal conditions. The preparations extended further, with Arteta also reducing the number of massage beds available to players as part of the discomfort drills.
Arteta outlined his philosophy behind these unconventional training methods:
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.
The manager emphasised the importance of adaptation and resilience when unexpected circumstances arise.
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, describing how his players should respond to delays and disruptions.
Crucially, Arteta stressed that his squad must not allow external circumstances to become an excuse for underperformance.
But don't complain or use it as an excuse because it's not helpful at all.he insisted.
When pressed for specifics about what he had implemented, Arteta provided a comprehensive breakdown of his methods.
Just delaying the meals, delaying the transport, taking a different route. We've done many things.he said.
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. And we will try to anticipate this and adapt to difficult conditions.
The manager concluded by explaining the underlying rationale for his unconventional approach.
When there's no element of surprise or stress on a matchday, I think it's important.Arteta stated, suggesting that exposure to adversity during preparation helps normalise challenging situations when they occur during actual competition.
The Naples trip proved to be a real-world test of these principles. According to USA Today, the disruption was severe enough that Arteta cancelled his scheduled pre-match press conference, with the team arriving significantly behind schedule. The incident demonstrated that despite careful planning, unforeseen circumstances can still disrupt even the most organised travel arrangements.
What comes next
Arsenal's next fixture takes them to the Stadium of Light, where they face Sunderland on Saturday, 12 September 2026, at 8:00 PM. The match will provide another opportunity to test whether the mental resilience and adaptability Arteta has cultivated during pre-season translates into consistent performance across different venues and conditions.
