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Fans Think Mikel Arteta Has Grown A Potbelly Over The Summer

Arsenal, Body Talk, Mikel Arteta

During Arsenal‘s pre-season training camp in Girona, Spain, manager Mikel Arteta inadvertently became the target of viral social media banter.

The lighthearted online trend began after Arsenal’s Official X Account shared standard training photos of Arteta and his first-team coaching staff. While the post was intended to provide insight into the squad’s preparations for the upcoming season, fans immediately noticed the manager’s physical appearance, sparking playful speculation that the boss had gained a slight “potbelly” during his brief summer vacation.

Credit: X

The digital conversation quickly spread across various social platforms, with fans reacting by quote-tweeting and commenting on the training session images. An X user started the viral trend by sharing an image with the humorous caption,

“Look at that tummy man. It’s over”,

The post quickly received over 575,000 views.

Not long after, another prominent fan interaction surfaced, who echoed the fanbase’s amusement by quote-tweeting the exact same photo with the caption,

“Oi is that a gut.”

Seeing this new look of Arteta’s potbelly. many fans made fun of him.

Many people joked that after winning a major title for Arsenal, Arteta was relieved of his stress and could now eat whatever he wanted.

Rather than expressing genuine concern, the majority of Arsenal fans defended the manager’s slightly more relaxed frame with a “peace of mind” theory, claiming that the extra weight was a well-deserved byproduct of a stress-free summer vacation following Arsenal’s exhausting but historic Premier League title victory over Manchester City.

Despite the internet’s obsession with his midsection, Arteta remains determined to set elite cultural and professional standards for his reigning champion team. Speaking to club media in Spain ahead of their first pre-season friendly, Arteta dismissed any notion of a relaxed attitude on the pitch, stating,

“My ambition is that daily, we nail the standards.”

He also praised his players’ overall conditioning, stating that the squad returned from their postseason breaks “better than ever” to face the arduous fixture schedule ahead. The Gunners are currently on a busy summer exhibition tour.

Following an opening match against Girona on August 1st, Arsenal will face Real Betis in Dublin, then return to the Emirates Stadium to face Borussia Dortmund and Como before facing Manchester City in the highly anticipated FA Community Shield on August 16th.

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