As fans, we don't often see the deeper side of players and managers behind the scenes. Arsenal's 'All or Nothing' Amazon documentary will undoubtedly provide us with some insight to a certain extent, but I am always intrigued to find out more about those who represent the club and how they operate.
Thankfully, Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague has shed some light on Mikel Arteta and his way of working. A new BBC Sport column looks at how the Arsenal manager has led the club to the brink of Champions League football, highlighting some of the methods and ideas he has used in the process so far.
Upon reading the article, one particular part stood out to me and provided a sense of hope heading into tonight's crucial North London Derby. Balague explained why Arteta planted an olive tree in the grounds outside his office at London Colney and how It's not there to just be a reflection of his ideal football culture but also as a metaphor for the club.
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"While the fruit and leaves are the showpiece of the tree - the top players if you like - they are no more vital to its flourishing than the branches that hold them and the roots that grow beneath it," Balague says. In Arteta's head, the roots represent those who help the team progress and grow, the people that "embody the core values that will make the club bigger and richer". Without them, the tree would die.
Balague then mentioned the time Arteta gathered his players around the tree following three consecutive league defeats against Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton. The Spaniard is said to have talked them through this philosophy, and the team haven't lost a game since.
It's that four-game unbeaten run that has meant they are now just one win away from UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time in five years. It has set up one of the biggest North London derbies in recent history, with so much at stake for both sides. It won't be easy, I'm sure of that, but Arteta's olive tree method can remain a motivational factor for the players as they walk out onto the pitch.
They are talented, they have potential and the situation they now find themselves in is a testament to their progress this season. However, the guidance from the olive tree root must not be overlooked.
Balague also touches on the selection process behind Arteta's assistant coaches Steve Round and Albert Stuivenberg: "[Arteta] chose them because he trusted them to ask the right questions, to have similar expectations, the same standards and integrity, and the necessary understanding of leadership, tactics and game plans that could help Arsenal to win at this level."
Of course, we know the root consists of so many people at the club, but first-team coaches are right at the top alongside the manager. It is their experience and expertise that have contributed to the success on and off the pitch, which is one of the reasons Arteta ensures everyone gets recognition whenever he wins a Manager of the Month award as we saw in April.
Tonight, the players have the opportunity to not only make it one to remember but to repay the faith and trust shown in them over the past nine months. Things were looking gloomy after the aforementioned three-game losing streak, but a speech about the growth of a tree has led the Gunners within touching distance of their ultimate goal. What a beautiful story it would be.
