Energy, passion and optimism': how Arteta created red-hot Emirates atmosphere

Arsenal are preparing for a major Premier League match at Emirates Stadium against Burnley, with tickets priced at over £650 and Burnley returning 1,500 tickets. Arsenal supporters are encouraged to arrive two hours early to greet the team and build a red-hot atmosphere. Mikel Arteta credits the Champions League semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid for inspiring that energy, describing the engagement and enthusiasm he saw in fans’ eyes. Arteta views transforming the stadium atmosphere as one of his proudest achievements, especially after earlier frustrations during the Arsene Wenger era. He recalls a moment at Manchester City when half the stadium was empty after Arsenal fell behind 3-0, which reinforced his belief that a different approach was necessary.

"Tickets for Monday's meeting with Burnley, who were relegated almost a month ago and returned 1,500 tickets for their trip to north London, were being sold for upwards of 650 last week as Arsenal attempt to edge closer to being crowned champions for the first time since they said goodbye to Highbury."

"In an attempt to recreate the red-hot atmosphere that inspired the victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, Arsenal supporters have been encouraged to arrive two hours before kick-off on Monday night to greet the team when they arrive at the stadium. 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,' Mikel Arteta said this week of the Atletico experience."

"The engagement, the passion, the enthusiasm of our fans in their eyes, I think that was something special. Transforming the atmosphere at the ground they moved into five years before the former midfielder signed from Everton in 2011 is one of Arteta's proudest achievements. He was there during the tail end of the Arsene Wenger era, when frustrations at no longer being able to compete for the biggest prizes frequently boiled over in the stands."

"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, he remembered. It really got into me. I said: With this, there is no project. This is not going to work.'"

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