How Arsenal’s Arteta simulated Anfield atmosphere for players before Liverpool game

Arsenal’s Amazon documentary, All or Nothing is soon to be released and it features many behind-the-scenes events that went on at Arsenal during the last season 

Mikel Arteta is yet to get a win in the Premier League at Anfield as an Arsenal manager and thought out of the box during one of his team’s visits to Merseyside last season.

In a clip released by Amazon Prime, it showed Arteta bringing speakers out to the training ground and asked players to imagine they were at Anfield. He played Liverpool’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as the training went on.

The clip also showed Kieran Tierney standing aside and watching on with keen interest while he also participated in the session.

Arteta was seen telling a staff of the club; “One of my crazy ideas. Today they’re going to train and on the background, You’ll Never Walk Alone” Arteta said.

The staff responded to Arteta and said “it’s a good idea, an interesting idea. I’m looking forward to it.”

What was the rationale behind Arteta’s decision?

In a separate interview, Arteta revealed the reason he tried to simulate Anfield’s atmosphere.

“There’s a word that we use in Spain on cycling. When a cyclist is going up and looks amazing and in one kilometre, he goes “poooh” (points downwards), and he looks like he’s staggering. It’s a word we call ‘bajara’.

“And then, I had it once at Anfield. I was going there and suddenly, I could only see red shirts flying around, the game is passing all over me and I cannot react and people will say ‘what is he doing and I’m like I cannot do it. I cannot do it emotionally, physically I cannot cover everything because it goes so fast. I’ve only had that feeling once in my career and it was at Anfield.”

In the clip, Arteta was seen telling the boys on the training ground that they’ll be playing the game mentally. “Okay, we are at Anfield. Let’s go, ” then the song was blasted from the speakers.

What happened to Arsenal in the game despite Arteta’s move?

The Spanish manager was seen belting instructions to Nuno Tavares (now sent on loan to Marseille) in Portuguese in the clip, in what was strategic as the defender gifted two goals to Liverpool in the game.

Arsenal lost that game 4-0 and it looked all perfect before the game was turned on its head.

Anfield was quiet and Arsenal looked in control with Bukayo Saka looking to be their main goalscoring threat until Arteta got riled up.

Sadio Mane appeared to have intentionally elbowed Takehiro Tomiyasu and Arteta wasn’t taking any of it. He complained bitterly and was soon cautioned.

Right after his actions, the Liverpool crowd increased their decibel and the Arsenal players whittled with Tavares particularly culpable for two cheap goals.

Liverpool scored four second half goals in the game.

Arsenal didn’t win at Anfield last season on their two visits, in the league and semifinal of the league cup, losing 4-0 in the Premier League and earning a 0-0 draw in the cup.