Club sources have revealed that Mikel Arteta was left 'seriously unhappy' about a situation Arsenal got themselves into last year.
Arteta has orchestrated a huge turnaround in Arsenal's fortunes since he was appointed manager in 2019, turning a side in disarray into Premier League title challengers.
The Spanish coach has used some unusual methods during that time, including hiring pickpockets to steal his players' phones and wallets and adopting a club dog called Win to represent the 'Arsenal family'.
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Arteta is meticulous in everything he does, and that extends to Arsenal's pre-season preparations.
Like many elite sides in Europe, every summer Arsenal jet off around the world for pre-season tours.
In 2023 Arsenal played a series of games in the United States, including a friendly against Barcelona at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
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According to MailSport, Arteta was left 'seriously unhappy' over the state of the pitch for that game, with the match delayed by 30 minutes so that ground staff could patch up problems with various tools.
Arteta was so frustrated that he relayed his concerns to the stadium management team, who assured the club that a repeat would not happen in 2024.
In order to keep that promise, preparations for Arsenal's visit to SoFi Stadium this summer began last year. The grass for the pitch started to grow last year, with stadium officials visiting the plant every month to check on its progress.
Arsenal returned to the stadium last month to face Manchester United, with the pitch appearing to be in better condition.
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It's not standard practice for clubs to go to those lengths ahead of their pre-season tours, but Arteta clearly leaves no stone unturned.
Arsenal have now returned to London ahead of their Premier League opener against Wolves at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, August 17.
Topics: Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United, Mikel Arteta
Alex Brotherton