Arsenal players open up on Arteta, risk and a dog named Win - ESPN

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany — Arsenal have been busy. After a Premier League season that saw them lead the table for 248 days before being pipped to the title in the final few weeks of the season by treble-winners Manchester City, the Gunners have spent over £200 million to bring in three new players.

For many at the club, a four-legged free transfer back in May is the one to have made the most impact on team morale. «It was really nice when I came back on the first day and they were waiting for us,» Arsenal right-back Ben White tells ESPN. Brazilian defender Gabriel echoes White's sentiments while endorsing the work of his manager. «Mikel [Arteta] does all he can to help us understand what winning is. We have a new member in the family. I hope it helps us,» he says.

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We are, of course, referring to the chocolate-coloured Labrador named Win, who arrived as one of manager Mikel Arteta's quirky motivational methods that can attract ridicule and intrigue in equal measure. But chatting with the players on the first leg of their preseason tour at Adidas HQ in Germany, it's clear they're fully invested in the Spaniard's pursuit of marginal gains. In the words of winger Reiss Nelson, «he's a genius, bro.»

Detractors may snigger at Arsenal's furry new resident, but there's logic to letting man's best friend roam around London Colney as Arteta and his coaching staff build up the players' mental, physical and tactical capabilities to perform every week in the Premier League. As Nelson astutely observes, «it makes you feel a certain type of way.» Calmer, for one. Research shows dogs can reduce the stress hormone cortisol, while boosting feel-good hormone oxytocin — handy when you're