Oleksandr Zinchenko has revealed another quirky tactic launched by Mikel Arteta to help prepare his Arsenal squad.
The Gunners boss raised eyebrows during the summer when it was revealed that he secretly hired pickpockets for a team dinner.
Phones and wallets were cunningly stolen from the Arsenal players to teach them the importance of being ready, alert and prepared at all times.
Zinchenko has now recalled a different strategy that Arteta has used pre-match in the hopes of inspiring his team to victory.
Whilst nothing was stolen on this occasion, the Gunners left-back was on the receiving end of an inside joke from his boss.
“We stayed at the same hotel before a match and we knew all the waiters,” he told The Guardian. “But there was a new guy that day.
“So before we go to the stadium [Arteta] said, ‘Okay guys, let me wake you up, because we need energy. Last time, Alex, we played staff against players and you beat [set-piece coach] Nicolas [Jover]. Let’s do it the same, but freestyling.’
“Everyone was like, ‘What? For sure, Alex will beat him, blah blah blah.’ Nico started to do something with the ball and then suddenly it looks like he got an injury.
“It was so obvious but weird. Then they called the new waiter. We didn’t know he was a professional freestyler.
“He destroyed me with his tricks and all of us were in deep shock. But then we were all laughing and we went to the game with good energy.”
Unique approaches including the secret freestyler and the pickpockets have not been rarities during Arteta’s tenure as manager.
Before a Premier League clash at Liverpool in November 2021, the Spaniard brought Anfield’s atmosphere to the Arsenal training pitch.
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He did so by blasting out the Red’s iconic pre-match anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ on speakers, although they went on to lose the match 4-0.
Later on in the 2021/22 campaign, Arteta reminded Arsenal of Ivan Toney’s seemingly mocking tweet after Brentford beat on the opening match of the season.
This appeared to help as the Gunners won at home 2-1, with Arteta crying beforehand: “So today they play in our house, guys there is only one team on that f****** pitch – and it’s us!”
The Arsenal boss may have another inspirational speech lined up for their next match on Tuesday night in the Champions League.
Shakhtar Donetsk visit the Emirates Stadium on matchday three and will give Zinchenko a chance to play against his former youth side.
The defender has only featured twice for the Gunners this season with a calf injury seeing him him miss seven matches.
Arsenal are unbeaten in the Champions League after two games having drawn to Atalanta and beaten Paris Saint-Germain.
