Another of Mikel Arteta’s quirky managerial techniques revealed as Arsenal players are set task before Leicester clash

According to Standard, during a training session on Thursday, Arteta gathered his players and gave them a simple yet thought-provoking assignment. He simply asked them to jot down the challenges they might face against Leicester as he wanted his troops to think critically about their opponents and anticipate the difficulties they would encounter on the field.

• Getty Images

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Arteta remained tight-lipped about the exact responses, the report mentioned that Martin Odegaard’s absence cropped up as the central theme. Rightly so, as the Gunners face the daunting task of unlocking Leicester without their midfield maestro, who is known for his sensational vision to needle through passes in tight spaces.

  • WHAT ARTETA SAID

    “Obviously the influence that Martin had in our attacking phase is enormous, and we cannot question that,” Arteta told reporters.

    “When you look at every metric, the way we plan the games, the types of things that we have to try to do to get him in the spaces where he can be very dangerous for the opponent, it’s key – it’s always in relation to him, basically. We don’t have him, so we have to adapt. We have to adapt our way of playing and we have to find other ways to do it that are very efficient. It will be different – it won’t be the same – but hopefully very efficient as well.”

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Arteta has never been afraid to experiment with unconventional methods during training, and this latest task is not his first creative approach. In an effort to prepare his team for high-pressure environments, Arteta has previously piped in audio of Liverpool fans singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” during training sessions. In another instance, he played out fan noises and chants from Anfield. These were done to simulate the intense atmosphere at Anfield, where Arsenal players often face immense pressure from the crowd.

    • Getty Images

      WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

      For Arteta, these efforts are about more than just securing three points. Arsenal have come close to winning the Premier League title in recent years, only to fall short in their race against Manchester City. This time, the manager is determined to ensure that the team avoids the same fate and another victory against the Foxes on Saturday will be a step to keep afloat their title ambitions.