Arteta’s energy, passion and optimism transform Arsenal’s Emirates atmosphere

The upcoming Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley at the Emirates Stadium is being billed as the most significant league game ever hosted at the venue. Despite Burnley having been relegated nearly a month ago and returning 1,500 unsold tickets, demand for Monday’s fixture has driven ticket prices above £650. Arsenal are attempting to close in on their first league title since leaving Highbury.

In an effort to recreate the electric atmosphere that fueled Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final victory over Atlético Madrid, supporters have been urged to arrive two hours before kickoff to welcome the team bus. “The players were in the other bus, but I could see straight away all the staff and everybody was there just looking at each other and saying: ‘Wow, we’ve taken this to a different level,’” manager Mikel Arteta recalled. “The engagement, the passion, the enthusiasm of our fans in their eyes, I think that was something special.”

Arteta considers transforming the Emirates atmosphere one of his proudest achievements since taking charge in December 2019. He experienced the stadium’s frustration firsthand during the latter Wenger years, when discontent over the club’s inability to compete for top honors frequently boiled over. The catalyst for change came five days before his appointment, when he watched Arsenal trail 3-0 at halftime to Manchester City from the visitors’ dugout as Pep Guardiola’s assistant.

“It was the first thing because a few days before I was appointed here, I was on the other bench with Man City and that image, that feeling of the stadium, the crowd … 50% of the stadium was empty,” Arteta said. “It really got into me. I said: ‘With this, there is no project. This is not going to work.’ Unfortunately it got worse very quickly when Covid hit. After that we had to rebuild everything. But when it’s harder at the beginning, then it’s better. So to see that transformation and that joy in the people, it’s something that is beautiful to watch.”

Arteta has left no detail unaddressed in his bid to improve the matchday experience. Initiatives include no longer displaying second-half highlights on concourse screens and having the stadium announcer pause after announcing a goalscorer’s first name so fans can respond. He also removed the cover from the players’ tunnel at the start of this season, allowing both teams to hear the crowd’s noise before kickoff and encouraging more interaction.

“We need to ignite the atmosphere so they can play every single ball with us because it makes such a difference,” Arteta said. “We want to play and win things. That’s a non-negotiable. You need to have a stadium that is able to create those moments, for sure.”

His call for supporters to “bring your lunch” ahead of an early kickoff against Bournemouth last month did not yield the desired result, as Arsenal lost and opened the door for Manchester City in the title race. However, the atmosphere has noticeably improved since then. Despite some nervous moments in a narrow win over Newcastle, fans played a vital role against Fulham and Atlético, and patience will be tested again against a Burnley side that lost only 1-0 to City last month at Turf Moor.

“It’s supposed to be like this and especially when you haven’t won for that long, it’s going to be edgy,” Arteta said. “And I’m very glad that now we’ve turned that point and we are very optimistic, but being very, very present as well.

“When the stadium provides that level of energy, passion and optimism, they play every single action with the team. When we have the ball, when the opponent has the ball, in every element, they live the game like that. The value of that is just infinite. I think you cannot measure it and the team becomes different.”

Arsenal are exploring ambitious plans to expand the Emirates Stadium capacity beyond 70,000, up from the current 60,704. Reports indicate the club is in talks with Populous, the architecture firm that originally designed the venue. Such a redevelopment might require a temporary move to Wembley, a scenario Arteta hopes to avoid given the progress made on atmosphere. “Everybody at the club is trying to give his vision, his input, his support, to try to encourage that,” he said. “But especially the fans or the supporters need to provide that. I think it has to come from them, naturally. And we have to provide that as well, it goes both ways. We are constantly connected with them to try to be the best stadium in the world.”