Mikel Arteta once convinced his Arsenal squad that he could read their minds as a motivational tactic ahead of a north London derby, a strategy detailed in Sam Dean's book "Arsenal: The Inside Story of Arsenal's Rebirth Under Mikel Arteta." The incident occurred in the team hotel before Arsenal's 3-1 victory over Tottenham on October 1, 2022.
Known for his unusual coaching methods, Arteta instructed his players to hide an object in one of their shoes. He then claimed he could identify the player by observing their eyes and body language. According to the book, Arteta promised a team dinner if he failed to guess correctly, but the players would have to pay for his meal if he succeeded.
After leaving the room to allow the players to conceal the object, Arteta and his coaching staff returned to observe them. Dean writes that Arteta even checked players' pulses, supposedly to gauge who was most nervous. The ruse was successful, with Arteta correctly identifying Brazilian defender Gabriel, prompting excitement among the squad.
The truth behind the mind-reading stunt was later revealed: the coaching staff had used CCTV cameras at the hotel to observe the players hiding the object. This was not the first time Arteta employed an unconventional tactic to gain a psychological edge. In the 2021-22 season, he played "You'll Never Walk Alone" loudly during training to prepare his players for the atmosphere at Anfield.
More recently, in the summer of 2024, Arteta hired a disguised pickpocket to steal items from his squad during a meal. The pickpocket, posing as a waiter, took personal belongings, which Arteta then presented at a pre-match meeting to instill a "pickpocket mentality" and encourage awareness of potential disadvantages.
Other unique approaches include a pre-match team talk featuring a lightbulb, symbolizing players shining and emitting energy, and the installation of an outline of the Premier League trophy at the training ground's entrance, illuminated only after Arsenal secured the title. During pre-season, Arteta deliberately made his team late for matches by altering routes or meal times and increasing the changing room temperature, aiming to prepare them for difficult away conditions.
These quirky practices, Arteta revealed in an interview with The Athletic, began on his first day in December 2019. The then 37-year-old reportedly "destroyed" an education center at the training ground, scattering computers and cables. He then challenged his staff to reorganize the space rapidly, a test of their togetherness that could have ended his tenure if unsuccessful.
"I said, 'Listen, this is what I heard. I don’t know if it’s true. But from a lot of different people, the sentiment is that this is how they feel about working in the organisation,'" Arteta explained. "'I’m here to help you enjoy your profession and your life and the passion that we all share. If you want me to help you to do that, you have two minutes to put this in order and at least to be ready to work together’. And I left."
He returned to find the office "immaculate," with staff ready to work. "That could have been my managerial career because if that would have stayed the same way, I had no job anymore!" he admitted. "Everyone was silent and had their eyes open and they were ready to listen. I said, 'This is just the start. It’s something that we have to be in daily. Whatever we want to accomplish, we’re going to have to do it together. I cannot do it by myself. The issue that we have is much deeper than that, but the opportunity is infinite.'"
Since taking over in 2019, Arteta has transformed Arsenal from a mid-table team into Premier League champions and led them to their first Champions League final in 20 years.