Arsenal head of sports science Tom Allen departs after internal review

Arsenal’s head of sports science and performance Tom Allen has left the club following an internal review into the team’s injury record commissioned by manager Mikel Arteta.

Allen departs the Emirates Stadium after a nine-year tenure, having originally joined the north London side from Aston Villa in 2017.

His exit follows the recent and unexpected departure of the club’s head of medical, Dr Zafar Iqbal.

Addressing the physical toll

These backroom changes arrive as the Gunners seek to eradicate the fitness issues that have hampered key players during recent campaigns.

The Spanish manager recommended bringing in Joaquín Acedo, a physiotherapist from his homeland, to conduct a thorough evaluation of their medical practices.

Arteta employs a high-intensity tactical system that relies on a tightly knit core squad, which naturally places significant physical demands on those individuals.

Broader backroom shake-up

This structural overhaul will also see lead physical performance coach Sam Wilson leave his post.

Having spent 12 years on the books, the highly regarded coach is now expected to join a top-flight European side.

The restructuring reflects a ruthless ambition to ensure the squad remains fully equipped to challenge for major honours.

Speaking previously on the need to elevate the club’s standards, Arteta outlined his vision for continuous improvement.

“We’ll start to make some very important decisions, we want to reach another level,” he said.

“We’re going to have to show that ambition because they are more than capable of doing it but it’s going to demand us to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”