Someone might have thought that something was on fire, seeing a thin column of smoke rising from the London Colney training center. And that someone was right: it was indeed fire, lit during one of Arsenal’s sessions this week. No pyromaniac instincts, no propitiatory rituals – more or less – to ward off bad luck on the eve of the big match against Manchester City, which is crucial for the Gunners in terms of both the season and recent history. It is simply the latest, yet another idea from Mikel Arteta to bring out the best in his players. In fact, it seems that this time the initiative came directly from them.
“Before each match, we use different thematic approaches to prepare and arrive at the challenge in the best possible way,” explained the Spanish coach. “A lot depends on what we do: the best ideas come from the players, those are the ones I appreciate the most.” Before the return match against Sporting, which thanks to the 0-0 draw secured Arsenal’s place in the Champions League semifinals, Arteta had asked Gyokeres and his teammates to “play with fire inside.” There you go. Let’s say it was taken quite literally. Not only for the solid performance that allowed the Londoners to advance: upon returning to base, the players actually decided to light a fire at the training ground. Gathering around it, contemplative. A way to bond, draw inspiration, and shape the dialectic of their technical guidance (or if that doesn’t convince you, also a gesture from the obsessed).
In a sense, however, the Arsenal environment needs to be understood: the Premier League victory has been absent for 22 years, the Gunners have never been so close to breaking the drought as they are today, yet, especially after the unexpected home defeat against Bournemouth just before the direct clash with City, fans and insiders have started to see green mice again. There could be an air of psychodrama, in short. So, a bonfire is welcome to boost morale and ward off bad thoughts.
Certainly, Arteta appreciated it, and it must be said – in terms of unorthodox football ideas – that the students are now surpassing the master. He is no stranger to devising alternative motivational methods. Once, he showed up in the locker room with a light bulb, asking his players to shine and be energetic. Another time he enlisted professional pickpockets during a corporate dinner to make phones and wallets disappear from the players’ pockets: a trick to keep them always alert, he later explained. There was even room for pet therapy: in 2023, he brought a dog named Win to London Colney to boost the troops’ morale. “I feel that we are like a family, and we need a dog that represents this family,” Arteta said then. Some might call it a bit cringe. But his boys follow him with the utmost camaraderie. And in the end, that’s the only thing that matters: waiting for Sunday to see the true effect of fire on the Premier League.