Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged his players to stick to the game plan when they take on Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday to avoid becoming stuck in a “washing machine”.
Speaking in Arsenal’s All or Nothing documentary released last year, Arteta revealed he once suffered “pajara” when playing at Anfield – a Spanish term often used to describe when an athlete suffers a general malaise and sudden loss of strength.
“I had it once at Anfield,” he explained. “Suddenly I could only see red shirts flying around.
“The game is passing all over me. I cannot react. People are thinking: ‘What is he doing?’ I cannot do it, emotionally, physically… I cannot cope, everything is going too fast.”
And ahead of their crucial top of the table clash against Liverpool, Arteta has reminded his players to stay focused on the game plan to avoid a similar situation.
“Sometimes when you don’t feel at your best, you feel like they are on top of you and you cannot get out of that washing machine,” Arteta said.
“You try to overcome those situations. That’s a learning, it happened once and it didn’t happen again.”
And when asked how his players can avoid the “washing machine”, Arteta added: “Hold the game plan and everything we discussed, to try to be away from that game and put in our washing machine which is very powerful.
“Obviously they have players with the ability to create special moments and score goals, but we have as well.
“It’s going to be a really competitive match for sure that we’re going to try and win. If we manage to do that, I think it’s going to be a really powerful thing for our team.”
