Arsenal have made a major alteration to the players’ tunnel at the Emirates Stadium, reportedly in an attempt to intimidate opposition players.
Observant Arsenal fans may have noticed an alteration to the players’ tunnel at the Emirates Stadium for the last couple of friendly matches, with the usual pull-out cover no longer in use.
Arsenal Fixture News report that Mikel Arteta apparently asked for the cover to be removed, as it muffled the roar of the crowd and made the walk-out less intimidating for opposition players.
The new setup isn’t just a temporary adjustment for the friendlies, with Arsenal Fixture News adding that the cover is gone for good.
As shown in the picture above, there’s still some protection above the walk-out area, with a screen installed in front of the doors to the tunnel.
That will help to prevent people from being able to throw things down onto players leaving the pitch, which was presumably part of the intention behind having a pull-out cover to begin with.
But the screen should only help to amplify the noise, increasing the echo rather than muffling it.
Whether the new setup will have the desired effect remains to be seen, but Arteta has always been a fan of these little innovations to gain a competitive advantage over Arsenal’s opponents.
From the introduction of the club’s pre-match anthem to installing speakers at the training ground, the Gunners manager isn’t afraid to push changes and try new things.
The club also installed digital screens around Club Level this summer, though that was seemingly just about creating more flexible advertising space.
