How Mikel Arteta rebuilt Arsenal in his own image
www.nytimes.com
As Mikel Arteta agrees a new three-year contract, this is how he has re-established Arsenal as one of the country's leading clubs

The bit that interested me

At a dinner with his players, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta secretly hired a team of professional pickpockets. The sleight-of-hand artists were tasked with going round the tables, pinching phones and wallets from an unwitting first-team squad.

At the end of the meal, Arteta stood up and asked them the team to empty their pockets. A number of players were missing valuable items. The idea was to teach his squad the importance of being ready, alert and prepared — at all times.