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Rival fans have been frequent critics of Mikel Arteta's bizarre tactics during his time as Arsenal manager, but no one can deny many of them have worked for the manager and his team.
From passionate speeches about Thomas Edison and the lightbulb to blasting speakers during training, the Spaniard has had his fair share of quirks throughout his spell in charge of the Gunners, and his latest may be the most crazy one yet.
A report by Daily Mail Sport has revealed that Arteta and Arsenal consulted NASA and others for information on injuries, data analytics and technology, and these different methods have shown once again how far the Gunners boss will go.
Arsenal consulted NASA for information on injuries
Reporter Isaan Khan exclusively revealed in a report for The Daily Mail that Arsenal had consulted NASA for their expertise in space physiology, specifically regarding ACL injuries.
The Gunners have been heavily plagued by fitness issues during Arteta's reign and have seen two players fall to ACL issues. Jurrien Timber picked up a problem on his Premier League debut in August 2023, which kept him out of action for all but the final minutes of the season.
Gabriel Jesus also suffered an ACL injury in January 2025, ending an impressive return to form and rendering him unavailable until the end of the year.
Such issues have not been limited to Arsenal's first team as members of the women's team and the academy have also been affected. Louie Copley ruptured his ACL against Real Betis in pre-season while Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, Victoria Pelova, Manuela Zinsberger, Michelle Agyemang and Katie Reid have all suffered the same problem for the women's team.
NASA were viewed by a potential answer to the problem by the Gunners due to their extensive research into what happens to the body under reduced gravity and the response it has once back on Earth.
Less gravity in space reduces the load on the human body and contributes to muscle atrophy and loss in bone density.
The Mail revealed that Arsenal believed there were valuable lessons to take on board for their rehabilitation process for ACL injuries. This included exploring areas such as how much weight an injured player should bear at different stages, how quickly that load should be increased, how reduced gravity excercise can allow players to resume running and loading movements earlier, and how to measure whether a player's body is actually tolerating those increased demands.
Arteta's search for information on key aspects of football was not limited to NASA as his side also consulted Google on data analytics. The company's expertise in processing vast quantities of information could help identify patterns associated with the risk of injury and spotting subtle changes to running mechanics or physical output.
Apple were also approached about the benfits of using wearable technology in order to collect physiological data and build a clearer picture of how the Gunners' injured players respond to training and rehabilitation.
This shows how far Mikel Arteta will go for his squad
Having learned from two of the best managers to grace the game, Arsène Wenger in his playing days and as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City, Arteta was never going to be short of success during his career as a gaffer.
While he has clearly adapted parts of the learning from both in to his managerial approach, the Spaniard has evolved to be his own man and has gained a reputation for his strange tactics, which have included very random methods to get his team clicking at the most crucial moments.
Approaching NASA, Google and Apple for key information on injuries that have potentially disastrous results for the careers of players shows how far Arteta will go for his Arsenal side, and the wider club at academy level and the women's team.
There is no doubt that rival fans will have a good moan about the Gunners boss' latest example of thinking (very far) outside the box, but no one can deny that he knows what he is doing and consulting some of the world's biggest companies may end up being very beneficial for the fitness of the players at Arsenal Football Club.
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