Why Mikel Arteta brings an olive tree to Arsenal team meetings

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that he sometimes takes an olive tree to team meetings as one of the tools he uses to motivate his squad.

After it emerged that the Gunners boss had begun bringing a chocolate Labrador named Win to the training ground to add a calming effect, Arteta spoke about another quirky motivational tool he uses at London Colney.

In his press conference ahead of Arsenal's trip to Nottingham Forest, Arteta spoke about the club's olive tree, a miniature version of which he has used to explain the importance of togetherness to his young squad. The Spaniard said: "Another symbol at the club is our tree. It needs a lot of care as well. It’s an olive tree, it’s older than 150 years, similar to the club, and we have to look after those roots every single to the day, make sure they don’t get poisoned, don’t get damaged and it’s in the right condition."

ESPN reports that Arteta spotted the tree from the window of his office and asked a staff member to make a miniature version that he could use in front of his squad. Win the dog and the olive tree are the latest in a line of inventive ways Arteta communicates ideas to his players. The light bulb scene in Amazon's All or Nothing series was another famous example.

Appropriately enough, after Friday's tree revelation, Arsenal take on relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in Saturday's late kick-off.