Mikel Arteta causes astonishment over bonkers Arsenal 'pickpocket' scheme to catch out his OWN players

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Mikel Arteta is being accused of losing the run of himself after shock details emerged over the Arsenal manager's latest bizarre stunt to educate his players.The Spaniard has became renowned for his unusual methods to keep his squad on their toes during a fly-on-the-wall documentary that followed the Gunners progress in the 2021/22 campaign.

These included getting his entire team to rub together and then hold hands with each other to "feel their energy" and installing speakers on the training pitch which blasted out Liverpool's famous anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" ahead of a tough trip to Anfield.But Arteta has now taken it one step further, with The Athletic reporting that he discreetly hired professional pickpockets to go pinching phones and wallets during a team meal to teach the Gunners squad a valuable lesson about being "alert and prepared" at all times.

The story quickly circulated around social media, with some fans suggesting that Arsenal's intense rivalry with Manchester City - who they have missed out to in the Premier League title race in the last two seasons - has got Etihad boss Pep Guardiola in the former Rangers and Everton star's head.One user wrote: "Competing against Pep for two years has taken its toll on Arteta's mind".

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