Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal’s strong team spirit will be a key asset as they enter a crucial stage of the season.
For the first time since Christmas, the Gunners enjoyed a midweek without a fixture, giving them extra preparation time ahead of Sunday’s clash with Chelsea.
Manchester City also had a lighter schedule, with Pep Guardiola even encouraging his players to relax and enjoy some downtime abroad. Arteta, however, chose not to fly the squad out, despite the tempting option of Dubai, and instead allowed players time off earlier in the week.
He highlighted how many players still chose to spend time together as evidence of the close-knit nature of the Arsenal squad.
"I wish we could be in Dubai," Arteta admitted.
"If we had one or two more days, I can guarantee we would have been in Dubai because everyone was eager to go.
"But then you’re often surprised. You give them a day off thinking they’ll do their own thing, and instead, eight or ten players end up having dinner at someone’s house or spend the whole afternoon together.
"That’s the beauty of it – they genuinely enjoy being together because they feel it’s the best way to bond. That was certainly the case this week as well."
Arsenal have previously hosted barbecues for players and their families during breaks in the fixture schedule. When asked if there was a repeat this week, Arteta joked: “In this weather? We only had Wednesday off, so no barbecue. But the barbecue is coming.”
The Gunners will host Chelsea on Sunday, hoping to build on their north London derby victory over Tottenham last weekend.
It has been an unusual week for Arsenal, with rare opportunities on the training pitch, but Arteta is confident the squad will be ready to perform against the Blues.
“It’s been different, because we haven’t had much time on the pitch," Arteta said.
"So they had a bit of time off, and we also had extra sessions to prepare. We gathered in different ways – for example, on Thursday night we attended the Arsenal Foundation event, which was fantastic. All the boys were together.
"So it’s been a unique week, very positive for our preparation, and hopefully, we can show that on Sunday."
