Mikel Arteta is going to alter how his Arsenal side prepare for fixtures and recover between matches next season.
Arsenal face a hectic fixture schedule next season.
Mikel Arteta will be aiming for glory in the new campaign, and will want his side to be capable of fighting on all fronts.
Of course, another Premier League title push is a key ambition, but the Gunners will also be desperate to seriously challenge for the Champions Leagues, and will be eyeing domestic silverware in the FA Cup and League Cup.
Arteta has promised Arsenal fans that trophies are on the way, and now is the time to deliver. However, negotiating this calendar will test his management and squad to the limit.
Changes to the Champions League structure will also mean more fixtures in that competition than ever before. This alteration has now prompted Arteta to rethink his approach to managing his players between matches.
Mikel Arteta explains how Champions League schedule will change how Arsenal work behind the scenes
In order to cope with these extra games, without injury and fatigue derailing the Gunners’ campaign, Arteta and his coaching staff will need to ensure that players’ workloads are carefully monitored, and that all match plans and tactical messages are delivered as efficiently and concisely as possible.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the Spanish coach has now provided some details on how the Champions League changes will impact his approach on the training ground.
He said: “We’re going to have to prepare many more games. Our analysts and ourselves as coaches, we’re going to have very, very different demands. So we’re going to put things in place to try to be more efficient, to simplify the messages as well.
“Because the preparation of games is going to be really short, so we’re going to have to maximise that time to give as much clarity and belief to the players to go and execute what they have to do to win the game.”
What will be different for Arsenal in the Champions League next season?
The new format of the Champions League will see the group stage done away with, replaced with one single league phase including all 36 clubs in the competition.
During the league stage, each club will play eight matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away. Seeding will dictate which sides can play which.
Teams that finish in the top eight of this league stage will skip a knockout round, progressing straight to the round of 16. Meanwhile, the bottom ten sides will be eliminated from the tournament.
Arsenal will have high hopes and big ambitions heading into Europe’s elite club competition this time around. Last season’s experiences will serve them well, and they will have their eyes on the big prize.
Star players such as Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard will desperate to make their mark on the competition. Meanwhile, William Saliba’s Euro 2024 campaign could give him a boost in the Champions League.
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