'It was a big mess' - Mikel Arteta reveals the bizarre technique he used to galvanise Arsenal players when he took over as Gunners boss

Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, Arteta set the scene of his first encounter with the playing squad when he arrived in December 2019, as he detailed his expectations of what needed to change.

Returning to the club he had once captained as a player just three years after retiring at the Emirates, Arteta’s comeback was not to be taken lightly and he made an instant impression as he used a bizarre “mess” metaphor to visually represent the state the north London club were in at the time.

While it took some time for Arteta to truly carry out his vision, his words were clearly taken on board quickly as the Gunners have risen back to being one of the Premier League’s elite sides in recent years – though a league title has eluded them up to this point.

When asked about his first meeting with the players, Arteta said: “It was the players and the staff, and it was in one of the rooms upstairs. And what I did is I put the room in a really awkward place.

"So, a lot of things on the floor. It looked a big mess. And I said 'This is the impression, and this is how a lot of people have described the moment that we are in. So, do you want me to come and help you to get this to the standards and the level, and the enjoyment that deserves to be part of this football club? Get everything together and start working'."

Arteta’s harsh words certainly set a precedent for what would be to come, as the Spaniard aimed to quickly turn around the culture at the club. Following FA Cup final success in his first season, he gradually moved on from high-earning players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil, bringing through Hale End academy stars such as Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe and Eddie Nketiah.

Once the transition was complete, by 2022-23 Arsenal were title challengers again. Three years of second-placed finishes have followed, but the Gunners currently hold a healthy lead at the top of the Premier League table, and it is widely believed that this campaign is the best chance they have had to win their first top-flight title since the Invincibles in 2003-04.

Whether Arteta’s interesting decision to create a mess in the meeting room in order to put his point across was the first key moment which ultimately led to all of this is a mystery, but six years on the Spaniard is coming ever-closer to achieving all he set out to at the Emirates.

Speaking in his press conference on Friday, Arteta reflected on his side and their prospects of strengthening during the upcoming transfer window, as his side continue to be linked with potential new signings.

“We’ve built a squad that we believe is the best one to give us the possibility to do it. Is it where I want it to be? No, because of the injuries that we have," he said.

“To have a squad means that the players have to be fit and available because that has a lot of consequences, not only during matches but also in the way that we prepare for the week, and the options that we have to change and keep the freshness in the team. But certainly, very happy with how we have dealt with certain situations.

“We always have to be prepared. The moment that we have an option to touch the squad, to improve the squad or to protect the squad, I think we need to be open for what is going to happen from now until the window closes, this is football.

“We don’t know, but we’re certainly going to be alert and we know where the risks can come in terms of the squad. We have to be ready in case we need to do something.”