How Arteta breathed new life into club's thrilling challenge

AS PART of a team-bonding exercise during their pre-season tour to the United States last summer, Arsenal players were tasked with making movie trailers.

- Simon Collings

Split into small groups, they each had to produce a short video about what the team meant to them before they were played in front of each other.

Sadly for Arsenal, there was to be no Hollywood ending to their season, but it has nonetheless been a good year, with very few blemishes to be removed in the editing suite.

After fading away last season, they were only beaten to the title by Manchester City on the final day and finished with a club-record number of Premier League goals and wins.

The seeds for this fine season were sown last summer during the tour of the US. Team-bonding exercises were key and the squad also enjoyed a barbecue together -something that has become a theme under Mikel Arteta.

The Arsenal manager drummed home the importance of unity into his players and the phrase "we plus me" was used constantly.

When the players returned to their training base, they found it had joined the list of motivational messages that cover the walls.

Another new phrase on one of the walls was "win the game with set-pieces", which the squad clearly took on board. Arsenal finished the season with 20 goals from set-pieces, more than any other Premier League team.