Fire, family and fun: How Mikel Arteta handles the pressure of a Premier League title race

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsRare Title ShowdownArsenal's New Blueprint?Liverpool’s Huge SummerPL Title Race Exploring the methods Mikel Arteta is using in the title run-in Design: Kelsea Petersen/The Athletic. Photos: Mike Hewitt/Getty, ANP/Getty, Justin Setterfield/Getty Share articleAhead of Wednesday’s Champions League fixture against Sporting CP, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke of feeling “on fire”. But for Arteta and Arsenal, the fire is more than just a metaphor. In the build-up to the quarter-final’s second leg, a real fire was lit at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground. The symbolism of the flames is powerful: purgative, purifying, transformative. In Arteta’s words, the blaze reflects his burning desire to deliver success to Arsenal. “No fear, pure fire,” he told a press conference on Tuesday. “That’s what I want to see on the players, on the people, on myself. That’s it. “We are in April. We have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let’s confront it. Let’s go for it by really putting absolutely everything into it.” At the meeting between Arsenal’s coaching staff and players, the fire was somewhat more literal. Such moments are not unusual in Arteta’s tenure: this is the same manager who held a light bulb to demand his players give him energy and electricity, who hired professional pickpockets to a team dinner to illustrate the importance of being alert. Imagery and symbolism are a key part of Arteta’s messaging. He once used an image of a pack of wolves to encourage his team to hunt in packs, aggressively snapping at the heels of the opposition. The players respond positively to his methods. Arteta is working with a young, multilingual squad, so he has to find ways to convey ideas that are impactful and instantly understandable. And there are few things as universally understood as fire. The heat is on for Arteta and Arsenal. They are entering a defining period — not just in their season, but potentially in the club’s history. They are just weeks away from the campaign’s climax, with both a long-awaited Premier League title and a first Champions League in their sights. With ambition, hope and expectation comes pressure. Arteta and Arsenal consider that pressure a privilege: it comes with the territory. “It’s supposed to be like this,” Arteta said after Arsenal edged past Sporting to reach the Champions League semi-finals. “It is challenging, it is bumpy, it is demanding, but that is the beauty of it. It’s the beauty of it and I love it.” For Arteta, any external pressure is secondary to the demands he places on himself. His need to win is at the core of his identity. “Mikel is one of the most competitive people I know,” says Danny Donachie, who worked with Arteta as head of medical services at Everton. “He would do anything to win. “I used to play head tennis against some of the Everton players. When Mikel was losing, he’d cheat like hell, contest every point. He would get so angry because he was so desperate to win.” That will to win means Arteta feels setbacks deeply. He is a passionate, emotional person — defeat hurts. A few weeks after the Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City, Arteta admitted the loss had initially festered like “a ball of poison” in his stomach. That grieving period rarely lasts longer than 24 hours. A day off for the players can offer Arteta a chance to process privately. The emotional fallout is contained and controlled. There are exceptions. When Arsenal failed to win the league title in 2022-23, for example, Arteta’s suffering was prolonged and profound. He believed that his team could deliver the Premier League and, as manager, considered himself ultimately responsible when they fell short. Although Arteta sometimes endures the most difficult moments away from the training ground, a support network at the London Colney training ground is vitally important. When Edu and Tim Lewis were with the club — as technical director and executive vice-chair — they formed a tight triumvirate, offering consolation and counsel as required. Arteta felt the loss of both men keenly. These days, the football leadership team — which includes CEO Richard Garlick, sporting director Andrea Berta and director of football operations James King — is on hand to offer a sounding board or encouraging words. Representatives of Arsenal’s board lend support as required. Arteta has a direct line to co-owner Josh Kroenke, who is also now part of the football leadership team. The manager can turn to his staff, too. He is blessed with experienced deputies. Gabriel Heinze offers boundless energy, enthusiasm, and humour. The Argentine is a long-standing friend and confidante. Albert Stuivenberg is more rational, more clinical in his approach. In moments of crisis, that can be invaluable. Leadership can be a lonely role. Arteta cannot afford to think like a fan or indulge in resignation. He has to continue to lead, to project belief, and forge a path forward. That is a considerable burden for any man to bear. But Arteta has expressed his gratitude for the way the club have rallied around him in times of difficulty. Speaking in the week following the FA Cup defeat to Southampton, Arteta said: “I couldn’t be prouder to work at a club with people that the only thing they could do is ask: ‘What else can I do to help?’.” Then there is the most dependable and essential source of support: his family. If needed, Arteta can seek solace in his home life. The goal is always the same: work through the pain, find new ways forward. “Take that (pain) out as quickly as possible,” Arteta summarised earlier this month. “How can I use that to make myself better, to make the team better?” The anguish of defeat is not discarded but processed into fuel for improvement. When training resumes, he returns reinvigorated — often with fresh ideas and fresh impetus. There is always a plan. Arteta’s default response to setbacks or scrutiny is to redouble his efforts. When adversity strikes, his first instinct is to work harder, to raise standards higher. “I remember one time when he was injured,” says Donachie. “Most players will spend two, three hours a day doing rehab. Mikel would spend eight, nine or sometimes 10 hours every day trying to recover. “He had this old-fashioned contraption that was supposed to improve your flexibility. He’d just sit in it for hours and hours, just trying to accelerate his recovery. That was just his mentality.” That unrelenting approach is undoubtedly one of Arteta’s strengths but it also makes him incredibly demanding and incredibly intense. That zealous approach to management does not suit all players. It has taken several years for Arteta to build a squad that meets his exacting standards. When the pressure rises, Arteta must find ways to manage any apprehension within the group. Some of that is achieved through routine: where possible, Arsenal will use the same hotel, the same bus, the same security arrangements. The idea is to reduce unnecessary anxiety and disruption and let the players focus on their football. There’s also an emphasis on puncturing the pressure by introducing moments of fun or levity. While Arteta is sometimes painted as a draconian figure, the Spanish coach is not averse to playing games — on occasion, he invents them. In the wake of the Southampton defeat, attendees at an open training session saw Arsenal conducting an exercise involving balancing pens. “I think the training session has to have different elements,” Arteta explained at a press conference. “It has to be related to the messages that we send and the compromises and commitments that we’ve made between us.” The young men under Arteta’s charge are hugely competitive and games and inter-squad competitions consequently can be effective team-building exercises or communication tools. They also serve as a helpful reminder of why athletes chose this career in the first place. “On some level, every player plays football because they love it and it’s joyful,” says Donachie. “Sometimes that gets lost when there’s pressure. Mikel is a serious guy but he’s also good fun.” Arteta is also open to alternative methods of relaxation. On a personal basis, he has spoken of using meditation “to bring everything down”. Even as a player, he was receptive to new ideas. “He’s got a great mindset,” says Donachie. “He’s always been very open-minded. Back then, we were introducing yoga, meditation, and pilates. At the time, it was very new but he embraced everything and tried everything. He just wanted to get better.” But pressure cannot be avoided entirely. Arteta does not shy away from the stakes. He relishes these defining moments, urging players and supporters alike to seize the day and “make it happen”. “There are two types of people in football,” says Donachie. “There are those who relish that pressure and those who struggle with it. “Mikel was always in the first category. He embraced it. He always wanted to be the most important player; he always wanted to go to a bigger club. He was always ambitious.” Now that ambition is trained on delivering silverware to Arsenal. Having secured their passage to the Champions League semi-finals, Arsenal travel to Manchester City on Sunday with an opportunity to record a statement result and ease their path towards a possible Premier League title. In the midst of what may be the biggest week of Arsenal’s season, Arteta has reiterated his determination to see the campaign through to a successful conclusion. “I want to get it done for all these people that have been in this journey with us, and because they deserve it, because it’s been unbelievable,” he told the media on Tuesday. “That’s what has driven me every single day.” Arteta will give it everything. Recent setbacks have served only to ramp up his determination to deliver. If Arsenal fail, it won’t be for lack of effort. As the pressure mounts, Arteta’s fire burns stronger still. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms James McNicholas has covered Arsenal extensively for more than a decade. He has written for ESPN, Bleacher Report and FourFourTwo Magazine, and is the co-host of the Arsecast Extra Podcast. Follow James on Twitter @gunnerblog