Mikel Arteta has introduced a hardline rule at Arsenal, reportedly designed to boost unity, but it’s hitting his players squarely in the pocket. The Gunners boss, desperate to finally deliver the Premier League crown to north London after two decades of waiting, has made it mandatory for his squad to gather at the training ground before every single match, home or away.
Arteta orders strict new rule
According to gone are the days of simply driving straight to the Emirates or hopping on a team coach from the ground. Under Arteta’s system, every player must report first to Colney, Arsenal’s Hertfordshire HQ, before being bussed together to their destination.
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The new setup has forced stars into booking private drivers for entire days. Many players now shell out between £700 and £1,000 to ensure they have a car on call to ferry them and their families to and fro, and even wait around until the final whistle. Drivers drop players at Colney, return to pick up their families, then hang around near the stadium until it’s time to head back out to Hertfordshire. Only then can they drop the stars home. It’s a costly merry-go-round that’s quickly adding up across the season.
Drivers loving every minute
While the players might be groaning about the expense, north London’s private hire drivers are rubbing their hands together. One cabbie told The Sun: "I mean for us it leaves us looking forward to every game and hope we get the call because that is essentially more than half what we have to get for the week and it's quite relaxing. Also who doesn't want to be involved in football these days even if you're driving them around."
Arteta obsessed with unity
Arteta’s logic is clear: team spirit equals trophies. He believes that if his men eat, travel, and prepare together, they’ll develop the mental edge required to dethrone Liverpool and finally lift the Premier League title for the first time since 2004. Insiders claim the Spaniard monitors everything from players’ body language to the strength of their off-field friendships, convinced that total cohesion will translate to silverware.