Piqued by a woeful start to the season, where he already lost two out of the three matches so far played in the English Premier League season, Arsenal boss Unai Emery has banned his squad from drinking fruit juice as he continues to make a stamp on the side following Arsene Wenger’s reign. The Spaniard replaced Wenger at the helm in May, signing a three-year deal worth £15million. According to The Mirror, a UK based publication, Emery has made the diet change and implemented a gym in a marquee at the training ground, according to. In his early years at Arsenal, Wenger completely transformed attitudes within the club. Influenced by his time in Japan with Grampus 8, Wenger was a devotee to a healthy way of life.
As a result, his coming 22 years ago signaled the end to players’ boozy drinking sessions and junk food, which he replaced with healthy and balanced diets, specialist nutritionists and muscle-strengthening exercises. His methods were not popular at first but were gradually adopted universally by the Premier League when other managers started to learn the secrets of his winning teams.
With this new rule at Arsenal, it is obvious that there are shades of Wenger in Emery’s belief in the benefits of sports science and he was one of the first to insist on regular blood and hydration tests. Emery is highly-demanding of his players and staff on the training ground and in the meticulous preparation for each fixture. He firmly believes that the little things make all the difference in the heat of battle. Arsenal picked up their first Premier League victory under Emery last Saturday and face a trip to Cardiff this weekend.