Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have proven they mean business in the early stages of this Premier League season but could learn something from the iconic Arsene Wenger
Joleon Lescott speaking on In The Mixer
Joleon Lescott recalled a unique tactic that Arsene Wenger employed at Arsenal
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Arsene Wenger found an unlikely way to give his Arsenal side an edge over their rivals - and Mikel Arteta could learn from it. The Spaniard is hoping to lead the Gunners to their first league title since Wenger's 2004 triumph.
Nine games into the Premier League season, and Arsenal have already opened up a four-point gap at the summit. Arteta's men have finished as runners-up the past three seasons but look primed to go one better this campaign.
While expected title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City continue to drop points, it still seems likely that Arsenal will become embroiled in a title battle.
Former Premier League defender Joleon Lescott has shed some light on a clothing-related preference that Wenger used to swear by, which could help Arteta and his players in the coming winter months.
"But Arsenal used to do it. Arsene Wenger used to say that if your fingers and toes are cold, it can slow down your reaction speed by half a second. That is the reason why Arsenal's players always used to wear gloves. Everyone. All the players would have worn them at one stage.
"That was the thing he believed was the factor. I'm not saying it's a fact. I'm just saying that was the reason why a lot of Arsenal players would wear them."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger talks to Mikel Arteta
Wenger beleived that players wearing gloves could give them an edge
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Arteta himself would frequently wear gloves in training alongside a host of iconic Gunners stars. The likes of Thierry Henry, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez all would don a pair when the weather turned.
This wouldn't be the only piece of Wenger's management that Arteta has adopted. Speaking last week he was asked if he was attempting to emulate Wenger by winning a league title buoyed by a solid back four.
He replied: "I go back through the history of football in general and the teams that have the best defensive record, most of the time, except for the last three seasons in the Premier League, which we did, normally, you win the league. So just go against those stats. But the stronger we are in that foundation, the bigger the probability of winning games is.
Sanchez with Ozil
A host of Arsenal stars would wear gloves under Wenger
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"They are far from perfect and there are a lot of things we must do better. Obviously, there are a lot of things that we're doing very, very well and we need to maintain that.
"So it's just about understanding that the margins to win football games at this level are very small. In certain moments, we have lost, in certain moments, we have fully deserved to win them.
"But that's not going to be the same trajectory all the way in the season and we need to be prepared for that. So the more alert we are, the more urgency we have, the more desire we have for the next game, we're going to be in a better place to win the game."
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