Arsenal supporters were left baffled when the team celebrated with a replica of the 'Clock End' clock after their win against Fulham - but Mikel Arteta may have his reasons.
The Gunners won 3-0 at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon thanks to goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard. The result means they are now five points clear of Manchester City in second with just 11 Premier League games to go.
Arsenal fans have been trying to work out why the team posed with the famous clock, which graced over the club's old Highbury ground for more than 70 years before their move to the Emirates in 2006. It appears some of them may have cracked the case.
Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko posted a photo of the team with the clock to Instagram. In the image, the time on the clock is 1:55. Some fans believe the big hand is over the 11 because that is the amount of Premier League fixtures Arsenal have left to play.
In terms of the small hand, that remains up for debate. Some fans believe it is over the two because there are two months remaining, while other think it means "11 games 2 go". Some fans even believe it stands for 14:00 hours to reflect a potential 14th league title.
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Frustratingly, Zinchenko's caption did not offer any clues on the matter. He described the win as an "important three points away from home" and celebrated the return of Gabriel Jesus, who featured in the Premier League for the first time in four months.
What do you think Arsenal's 'clock' photo means? Let us know in the comments below!
Arsenal fans will have to wait to find out the exact meaning behind the clock. Manager Arteta is not afraid to use alternative methods to motivate his players, as supporters noticed during Amazon's 'Arsenal: All or Nothing' documentary on the 2021/22 term.
In the documentary, Arteta references Ivan Toney's "nice kickabout with the boys" tweet to motivate his players ahead of a home game against Brentford, which Arsenal won. Toney's tweet was in regards to their opening day defeat at Brentford.
Arteta also invited Arsenal fan and photographer Stuart MacFarlane into the dressing room to deliver a speech. In an interview with BBC Sport last August, Aaron Ramsdale discussed his manager's team talks. "Arteta's team talks are definitely different," he said.
"I think he keeps it fresh because sometimes he is writing, sometimes he talks, sometimes he lets some of the lads talk and what not. It keeps you engaged and lets you into his life as well. He is probably the most approachable manager I've had."
Arsenal still have a long way to go before they can celebrate a first Premier League title in 19 years, as they must travel to Liverpool, Man City and Newcastle. The Gunners are also competing in the Europa League, which could prove to be a distraction.
"Really tough place to come and a really well organised team," said Arteta on Sunday. "I think we dominated the game, we created so many chances, we kept a clean sheet – which was really important – and we won the game in a convincing way, so really happy."
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