'A world away' from over-celebration

TL;DR

Mikel Arteta and his players celebrated together at the Emirates, showcasing a strong team unity. Sports psychologist Bradley Busch highlighted this collective celebration as a sign of a healthy team mindset.

Key points

Mikel Arteta celebrated with his players at the Emirates.
The celebration indicates a healthy team mindset.
Bradley Busch discussed the concept of emotional contagion.

[Getty Images]

Tuesday's celebrations included Mikel Arteta and his players joining hands and running towards each end of the Emirates.

Bradley Busch is a chartered sports psychologist who runs Inner Drive, a sports psychology training centre, and he told BBC Sport the collective celebration indicated a "very healthy team and squad mindset".

"The technical phrase that is used in research for this is known as 'emotional contagion', which basically says behaviours and attitudes and unity can spread and ripple through the team," he said. "One way you can do that is through celebrating together.

"On a more fundamental level, players aren't doing that to try to improve future performance - they're doing it because it's a sheer release of thinking and breathing about this stuff 24/7 and realising your goals.

"In what is such a high-pressurised environment I think it's really healthy for it not all to build up and bubble, and to celebrate on the pitch."

Busch added that anyone suggesting Arsenal's reaction was over the top "feels a bit like the old celebration police going on there".

"The nearest you can get to defining over-celebration is anything that negatively impacts the future performance," he explained.

"We sometimes see that with players and teams during the match - where they might think they have already won, which can lead to showboating or playing with much less intensity, or if it's interrupting the preparation for the next match. But this is a world away from that.

"As a Tottenham fan, I absolutely do hope it's a case of over-celebration - but that's more of my personal opinion than professional one!"

Q&A

What does Mikel Arteta's celebration with players signify?

Mikel Arteta's celebration signifies strong team unity and a healthy squad mindset, as noted by sports psychologist Bradley Busch.

What is 'emotional contagion' in sports psychology?

'Emotional contagion' refers to how behaviors and attitudes can spread within a team, fostering unity and positive mindset through shared experiences like celebrations.

How can team celebrations impact performance?

Team celebrations can enhance performance by promoting a sense of unity and emotional connection among players, which can lead to improved teamwork.