Arsenal head coach Unai Emery wants his players to enjoy the sweet taste of success but has told them to stay away from high-sugar fruit drinks.
The Spaniard’s meticulous eye for detail has led to him banning non-freshly squeezed juices from the club’s London Colney training base.
Instead, Emery wants the team to follow his lead and drink a healthier alternative as his quest to overhaul the fortunes of the club continues.
The Gunners picked up their first win with a 3-1 victory over West Ham, having lost their opening first two games under Emery to Manchester City and Chelsea.
They face a trip to promoted Cardiff on Sunday, with Emery explaining why he took such tight measures in his preparation.
“Yes, this is true,” he said when asked about the ban.
“I only changed, I like fruit a lot and I like fruit juice. But with a lot of sugar? Not very good.
“It’s for that and when I was very young, my father was coming every day with one fresh orange fruit juice.
“I like it in my life, more of that. It’s for that, when I arrived here, I asked only for that from the cook. And the players, I think, are the same. They prefer their orange juice fresh.”
Arsenal won just three Premier League away games in Arsene Wenger’s final season before he was replaced by Emery in the summer.
Mesut Ozil, who missed the win over West Ham through injury, is fit to return at the Cardiff City Stadium.
“He’s training normally with the group, in every session this week,” Emery said.
“We started on Tuesday and every day he has been training with the group. He’s OK. Also I’m looking at him well every day.”