Mikel Arteta explains how he prepares his players for unforeseen circumstances

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Just Arsenal News

·12 September 2026

Mikel Arteta explains how he prepares his players for unforeseen circumstances

Keeping players prepared for changes they never anticipated during matches, and even before matches, is an important part of being a good manager, and Mikel Arteta understands this.

The manager and his players recently saw their flight plans disrupted by air traffic chaos in the UK, which meant his pre-match press conference before the game against Napoli was cancelled as they arrived later than expected in Italy for the match.

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The Gunners went on to win that Champions League fixture after dominating most of the game, and Arteta’s players were likely not too agitated by the forced delay.

This is because the manager has been preparing their minds for unexpected situations like this for some time, ensuring they are mentally prepared so that circumstances such as these do not affect them too much.

Arteta prepares his players

This Arsenal team has been one of the strongest they have assembled in a while, but situations like this could still unsettle them. However, their manager continues to prepare them for such challenges, ensuring they know how to adapt when their plans suddenly change.

Arteta believes these experiences can help his players and staff remain calm when unexpected problems occur. Rather than allowing disruptions to create panic, he wants everyone to focus on making the most of the situation.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Turning disruption into an advantage

The manager explained that he deliberately creates similar challenges during pre-season so that his players can experience them before they occur in competitive matches. As quoted by the Daily Mail, he said:

‘I love those challenges; I try to create them in pre-season. So when they happen, we already experience them and we already know.

‘So get to the stadium very late, change the routine and suddenly the players have to do something else. Because when it happens, and it can happen, you can miss the flight, the train can be delayed, there’s so much traffic and I don’t want the players, but not only the players, the staff as well, panicking.

‘When that happens, adapt to it. Okay, we have another two or three hours on the plane. How can we use them, play together, spend some time together, sleep?’

Arteta’s approach highlights the importance of adaptability, ensuring Arsenal are prepared to deal with disruptions without allowing them to affect their focus.

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