Mikel Arteta's at it again! RAF pilots invited to Arsenal to improve communication in manager's latest bizarre scheme

In a report from The Telegraph, Arteta revealed his new plan when speaking at the Lead Better, Live Better Summit 2025 earlier this month. The 43-year-old opened up to Steve Kerr, the legendary basketball coach of the Golden State Warriors, and former Australian rules footballer, Luke Darcy, about his desire to become more efficient with his use of words.

When asked where his curiosity takes him as a leader, Arteta told the event at the Londoner Hotel in London: “To many places. It’s a constant improvement. I can wake up one day and say ‘my process on match day is not good enough. Why we are communicating to the players, starting from between us coaches to the analysts, to the other guys, to actually how the message is delivered. I don’t like it. Who is the best at that?'

“So, the British fighter planes, for example. I will get in touch with those guys, how they communicate, because that is life or death. I’m sure they don’t use 20 phrases or 20 words if there is one word. Don’t say ‘nah, the wind is coming this way, now you have to turn left’, because boom, dead. So, it will be one word.

“So what is it? How specific can we be? How clear can we be? And bring them [the pilots] in and say ‘I want you to analyse our process, three days, how we communicate, how we do that in training, how we do that and I want to get better at this’.

“And be vulnerable, you know, and get it smashed and say ‘you guys are terrible at this, you need to improve’ and so ‘OK, we are going to get better at this’. Getting to understand these people, how they think, how they operate, how this relates to Formula One, how this relates to something else and try to improve on that.”

The plan to invite fighter pilots to Arsenal is the latest trick to emerge from Arteta’s curious mind. The former Real Sociedad and Everton player previously hired professional pickpockets to steal possessions from players at a team dinner in an effort to teach them the importance of being alert at all times. And during the All or Nothing: Arsenal series on Amazon Prime, Arteta famously blared Liverpool’s anthem, ’You’ll Never Walk Alone’, through loudspeakers during a training session in an attempt to prepare his players for the intimidating atmosphere that would await them at Anfield. He also produced a lightbulb during a team talk as he stressed to his players the importance of connecting with one another.

Arteta is hoping to find the secret recipe which will make the difference in Arsenal's pursuit of major honours this season. The north Londoners have made a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign, winning six of their opening eight games in all competitions. They currently sit second in the Premier League table, just two points behind leaders Liverpool, having recorded victories over Manchester United, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle. Arsenal have also beaten Athletic Club and Port Vale in the Champions League and the Carabao Cup respectively.

Arsenal are in great spirits having secured a dramatic 2-1 league win over Newcastle on Sunday. Having faced criticism for perceived pragmatism in their defeat against Liverpool and their draw with Manchester City respectively, Arteta’s men showed plenty of character as they fought back from a goal down to salvage an important three points at St. James’ Park. Arsenal fell behind to a header from Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade but second-half goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Magalhaes secured a potentially season-defining victory on the road.