How Mikel Arteta Left Arsenal Squad in ‘Disbelief’ After Mind Trick

A new book has revealed how Mikel Arteta convinced his Arsenal players he could read their minds before a north London derby in October 2022.

Arteta has used a range of motivational methods with his squad since taking charge at The Emirates in December 2019. Amazon’s All or Nothing documentary, which followed Arsenal during the 2021/22 season, showed him using a lightbulb during a team talk to illustrate the importance of energy within the group. He has also played Liverpool’s ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ over the speakers at training ahead of trips to Anfield, to prepare his players for the atmosphere.

According to The Inside Story of Arsenal's Rebirth Under Mikel Arteta by Sam Dean, another of those methods was used at the team hotel ahead of Arsenal’s meeting with Tottenham in October 2022.

With the squad gathered together, Arteta told the players he wanted to play a game. While he and his coaching staff left the room, the squad would hide a small object in the shoe of one of the players. When the coaches returned, Arteta would identify who had it by reading their eyes and body language.

The manager stipulated that if the players managed to correctly fool him, Arteta would take the whole squad and their families out for dinner. If he identified the right player, the squad would pay.

When he returned to the room, Arteta studied each player, looking into their eyes and checking their pulses. He then correctly named Gabriel Magalhães, who was the player hiding the object.

The players reacted with disbelief, with one source describing how the squad 'went mental.'

After the match, Arteta revealed how he had done it. He had watched the players hide the object through the hotel’s CCTV cameras.

Arsenal won the game 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium. Thomas Partey opened the scoring in the first half, before Harry Kane equalised from the penalty spot. Gabriel Jesus restored Arsenal’s lead early in the second half, and Granit Xhaka added a third after Emerson Royal had been sent off for Tottenham.

The win kept Arsenal top of the Premier League. They went on to finish second that season, behind Manchester City, who won the iconic Treble that year.

Arsenal did manage to win the league title under Arteta earlier this year, however, as they ended their 22 year wait. 

Although only in November, the Gunners are also  currently top of the table after Sunday’s 1-0 win at Liverpool.