Confusse the enemy — pink locker rooms, unbrushed teeth, overgrown grass

Sunderland snatched a valuable point against Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday, courtesy of a thrilling equaliser deep into stoppage time.

While Brian Brobbey’s stunning 94th-minute overhead kick rightfully grabbed the headlines and Mikel Arteta lamented the “chaos” caused by Sunderland’s direct style, it wasn’t the only thing that drew attention at the Stadium of Light.

The hosts had a clever trick up their sleeve — one that was more tactical than technical. In an effort to blunt Arsenal’s set-piece threat, particularly from long throw-ins, Sunderland staff discreetly shifted the advertising boards, cutting down the space the Gunners needed to generate momentum for their launches.

Taste of their own medicine: How Sunderland's 'dark arts' stopped Arsenal

“It might have been the wind,” manager Regis Le Bris quipped after the match. The move didn’t completely stop Declan Rice from attempting his trademark throws, but given that Arsenal never capitalised and the contest ended level, Sunderland’s ploy seemed to pay off.

It’s not the first time they’ve tried it either — the same trick appeared during last season’s Championship play-offs against Coventry, echoing complaints once made by Rory Delap, Stoke’s long-throw icon, about teams narrowing his runway.

Football’s history is full of such inventive schemes — moments of mischief and ingenuity that would have made Machiavelli himself proud. We will bring to you some of them.

Norwich’s pink mind games

Winning a football match isn’t only about tactics and skill — sometimes psychology plays its part too. That was the thinking behind Norwich City’s curious decision in the 2018–19 season.

In an effort to gain even the slightest advantage over visiting teams, the Canaries painted their away dressing room “deep pink.” The logic? The color supposedly reduces testosterone levels and induces calmness — not exactly ideal conditions for fired-up opposition players.

"Pink has an effect, not because it is pink, but because it's linked to childhood experiences," explained Dr Alexander Latinjak, a sport psychology lecturer at the University of Suffolk.

"If it is true that pink lowers testosterone levels, then the coach should know exactly how to use that advantage tactically."

Norwich borrowed the concept from the University of Iowa’s American football program, where similar color psychology experiments had been used for years. Though the team lost two of their first three home matches, the season ended in promotion to the Premier League, so maybe the mind games paid off.

When the pink walls were swapped for white ahead of the 2019–20 campaign, Norwich promptly got relegated. Coincidence? Probably — but fans still like to wonder.

Mourinho’s long grass strategy

If there’s one thing Jose Mourinho has never shied away from, it’s mind games — and lawn games, apparently.

During the heated spring of 2011, when Real Madrid and Barcelona clashed four times in 18 days, reports suggested Mourinho told Bernabeu staff to let the grass grow longer ahead of the first encounter. The idea? Slow down Pep Guardiola’s trademark fast, short passing style.

The match finished 1–1, but it added yet another spark to one of football’s fiercest rivalries.

Mourinho wasn’t alone in that sort of gamesmanship. His old adversary Arsene Wenger once had his own battle over pitch length — Tony Pulis claimed that Wenger even wrote to the FA complaining about how long the grass was at Stoke’s ground.

West Ham’s “mile-long” welcome

When Liverpool visited West Ham in April 2014 chasing their first league title in over two decades, they expected a tough match — but maybe not the hospitality that awaited them.

Although the Reds won 2–1 thanks to two Steven Gerrard penalties, their captain was less than impressed afterward.

"They tried everything to upset us. A hot dressing room, a dry pitch and the bus had to park a mile away," Gerrard said.

West Ham’s then-chairman David Gold quickly fired back on Twitter: “Mr Gerrard, nobody forced your bus driver to park a mile away from the ground — it was his choice. If the heating is too warm, turn it down.”

Wimbledon’s foul play — literally

The Crazy Gang of the 1980s — Wimbledon’s rough-and-tumble squad — built their reputation on unsettling opponents both mentally and physically.

By the time they reached the 1988 FA Cup final against a dominant Liverpool side, their psychological warfare was in full swing.

Striker John Fashanu later admitted that the players didn’t shower or brush their teeth for an entire week before the final — all in the name of throwng off their opponents with their “unique” aroma.

It may have been disgusting, but it worked. Wimbledon won 1–0, lifting the FA Cup and cementing their place in football folklore as the masters of chaos.