Alex Iwobi is happy with Unai Emery’s decision to have the team train in Baku instead of London Colney, ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Qarabag on Thursday.
In previous years, Arsene Wenger had his team train at the Arsenal training ground, before flying out for the match. However, this is something Emery has decided to change. Arsenal travelled to Azerbaijan on Wednesday and trained at the Olympic Stadium.
Iwobi was asked about the change in the Arsenal pre-match press conference and admitted it has its benefits.
“It is good for us to train on the pitch, so we can get used to it,” Iwobi told the media.
Other than the chance to train on the pitch, travelling early might also help the players by giving them an extra day to adjust to the time difference, the weather and to recover their energy after their long trip.
Admittedly that wasn’t something Arsene Wenger had to deal with very often at Arsenal, considering most Champions League ties tend to be a bit closer to home than Azerbaijan.
Hopefully, the alteration in preparation helps the team on the pitch, and they get a second win to keep their Europa League group stage on the right track.