Mikel Arteta has made the Emirates atmosphere one of Arsenal’s key strengths in the title run-in. Before Monday’s meeting with Burnley, supporters have been urged to arrive two hours early and welcome the team, as the club tries to recreate the intensity seen against Atlético Madrid.
Burnley match becomes a major Emirates occasion
Arsenal’s home game against Burnley is being treated as one of the biggest Premier League nights the stadium has hosted. Burnley were relegated almost a month ago and returned 1,500 tickets, yet demand among Arsenal fans remains huge, with some seats reportedly being resold for more than £650.
The match could move Arsenal closer to a first league title since leaving Highbury. Arteta wants the crowd to play its part from before kick-off, just as it did before the Champions League semi-final win over Atlético.
The Spaniard said the reception for that European match took the club to another level. He remembered staff looking at each other in surprise as they saw the passion and energy of the supporters outside the stadium.
Arteta was shocked by the old Emirates mood
Changing the feeling around the Emirates has been one of Arteta’s biggest projects since taking charge. He knew it had to happen even before he was appointed in December 2019.
In his final match as Manchester City assistant, he sat in the away dugout as Arsenal trailed City 3-0 at half-time. Arteta later said the stadium looked half empty and felt lifeless. In his view, no serious project could work with that kind of disconnect between team and supporters.
Covid then made the situation even harder, forcing the club to rebuild the bond with fans almost from scratch. Arteta now sees the current atmosphere as proof of how much has changed.
Small details helped change matchday habits
Arsenal have introduced several changes to keep supporters closer to the action. One idea was to stop showing the second half of matches on concourse screens, encouraging fans to return to their seats instead of staying inside the stadium areas.
The club also adjusted the goal announcements. The stadium announcer now pauses after saying the scorer’s first name so the crowd can complete it.
Another Arteta idea was removing the cover from the players’ tunnel at the start of the season. That allows both teams to hear the crowd before kick-off and increases the connection between the players and the stands.
Supporters expected to stay patient against Burnley
Arteta has repeatedly called on fans to bring energy, passion and belief. His earlier request for supporters to “bring your lunch” before the Bournemouth match did not stop Arsenal losing, but the atmosphere has improved since then.
The crowd helped the team through tense wins over Fulham and Atlético, and will be needed again against Burnley. Although Burnley are already down, they recently held Manchester City to a narrow 1-0 result at Turf Moor, so Arsenal may need patience as well as volume.
Arteta believes the stadium changes the team when supporters live every action with the players. He says that kind of energy cannot be measured, but it makes Arsenal different.
Expansion plans could test the new bond
Arsenal are reportedly studying options to expand the Emirates from 60,704 seats to more than 70,000. The club is said to be in talks with Populous, the firm that originally designed the stadium.
A major redevelopment could require a temporary move to Wembley or another venue, which Arteta would likely prefer to avoid after years spent building a stronger home atmosphere.
For now, his focus is clear: keep the connection natural, intense and mutual. Arsenal want the Emirates to become one of the best stadiums in the world, not only in size, but in the way it pushes the team.
