The deadline day had been very hectic for Arsenal. With striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving the club to join FC Barcelona, Arsenal surely needed this international break.
Mikel Arteta’s squad has been utilizing their holiday in Dubai with the players recovering to march back into the training session. The absence of Aubameyang is being felt, but the players will have to start readjusting. Along with this, many players have been out due to Covid, injuries, and international duty.
The start of the year has been a little problematic for the club as they have been knocked out of the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup in successive matches. They are also in the 6th position, right after Manchester United and West Ham. The players have been keeping their focus on the training ground and are pushing for a top-four finish this season.
However, the training drill that has been circulating on Twitter seems to be very peculiar.
THE TENNIS BALL DRILL
The video shows Arsenal players running from one end of the pitch to the other with coaches pelting tennis balls at them. The purpose of this drill is hard to figure out. Perhaps it is meant to increase the speed of the players or keep focus. It could also happen to be a fun game that the players were enjoying at the end of a session, but surely has got some hilarious reactions from the fans…
The players were definitely enjoying the drill, after a not-so-great start to the year. This is not the first time that Arsenal has seen such strange training drills. Unai Emery had used inflatables as defenders while he whipped the ball into the box. The players had a tough time with the drill as most of them were seen failing to net the ball.
ARSENAL’S COMEBACK
Mikel Arteta’s side is looking for a strong comeback after the end of the break. The administration had a stressful January transfer window, where they missed out on their targets Dusan Vlahovic and Arthur Melo while parting ways with Aubameyang. The only signing that took place was Auston Trusty, from Colorado Rapid, who was again loaned out to the same team.
The Gunners now have only 18 senior players to battle the rest of the season. The training in Dubai was meant to create some team bonding, which will help them increase their team’s agility and strength.
Arsenal finished their session in Dubai on the 2nd and are expected to return to England before their match on the 11th.
The former midfielder’s coaching tactics were heavily questioned after Arsenal saw their worst start to the Premier League. This also happens the first time in 26 years that Arsenal has not qualified for any European competition. However, Arteta has proven his worth after coming back strong and pushing hard for a Champions League spot.
The other top-tier teams have been competing in some major competition, and this has become a blessing in disguise as the Gunners get a lot more time for recovery. After the disappointing result with Burnley, Mikel Arteta had commented that “the players are really tired”. The Dubai break will surely help them bounce back in the second half of the season.