A packed Stadium of Light witnessed a thrilling finish as Brian Brobbey’s acrobatic 94th-minute equaliser secured a valuable point for Sunderland against Premier League leaders Arsenal. While the late strike took centre stage, much of the post-match discussion revolved around one of Sunderland’s less noticeable, yet highly effective, tactical moves.

As Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to assert their usual dominance from set pieces, it emerged that Regis Le Bris’s men had subtly altered the match environment to limit Arsenal’s threat from long throw-ins. The Black Cats had shifted the advertising hoardings closer to the pitch, reducing the space for Declan Rice and company to build momentum on their run-ups.

When asked about the peculiar set-up, Le Bris smiled: “It might have been the wind.”

Despite Rice’s attempts to launch the ball into the box, Arsenal failed to score from a throw-in, and Sunderland’s defensive stubbornness paid off. The game finished all square, and few could argue that the adjustment wasn’t worth the effort.

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The Fine Art of Marginal Gains

Sunderland’s approach is part of a long footballing tradition — clubs seeking clever, sometimes cheeky ways to tilt the odds in their favour. It was not even the first time the Wearside outfit had turned to such tactics. During last season’s Championship play-offs, they reportedly moved boards to frustrate Coventry City, limiting the Sky Blues’ ability to exploit long throws.

It’s the kind of gamesmanship that recalls the complaints of Rory Delap, whose famous missiles for Stoke City often prompted rival clubs to narrow technical areas or bring boards forward to restrict his run-up.

But Sunderland’s plan against Arsenal wasn’t about bending rules — it was about understanding them. Their disciplined application of a creative idea prevented the Premier League leaders from finding their usual rhythm.

Norwich and the Psychology of Colour

In 2018, Norwich City took a very different psychological route to gaining an advantage. The club painted their away dressing room a deep pink — a colour believed to reduce testosterone and calm aggression.

Dr Alexander Latinjak, a sports psychology lecturer, explained: “Pink has an effect, not because it is pink, but because it’s linked to childhood experiences. If it truly lowers testosterone, then the coach should know exactly how to use that advantage tactically.”

The concept originated from the University of Iowa’s American football team, and while Norwich initially struggled at home, they eventually stormed to promotion to the Premier League that season. Curiously, the pink walls were later repainted white — and Norwich were relegated. Coincidence? Perhaps.

Cambridge United: Masters of the Dark Arts

In the early 1990s, Cambridge United under John Beck became notorious for their inventive, if slightly devious, preparations. Former player Dion Dublin recalled: “We’d make the away dressing room either boiling hot or freezing cold. We’d dump their warm-up balls in a bath so they were heavy and horrible to kick. We’d even overload their tea with sugar so it was undrinkable.”

If that wasn’t enough, Beck instructed ground staff to leave the grass longer in the corners — perfect for his long-ball tactics. The results spoke for themselves: Cambridge climbed from Division Four to the Division Two play-offs in just three years.

The Crazy Gang’s Smelly Strategy

Few teams embraced mischief quite like Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang of the 1980s. Ahead of their famous 1988 FA Cup final against Liverpool, striker John Fashanu admitted that the players didn’t shower or brush their teeth for a week before the match. The idea? To make themselves as unpleasant as possible in close physical battles.

It may sound bizarre, but it worked. Vinnie Jones’ early crunching tackle on Steve McMahon set the tone, and Wimbledon shocked the mighty Reds 1-0 to lift the cup.

Souness and the Shrinking Pitch

When Graeme Souness was in charge of Rangers in 1987, he found a different way to exploit the rulebook. After losing 1-0 to Dynamo Kyiv in the first leg of their European Cup tie, Souness decided to literally narrow the field for the return game at Ibrox.

“At that time, the pitch didn’t have to be a fixed width as long as it was above a certain minimum,” he recalled. “So I made it the absolute minimum.”

To add to the trickery, Kyiv trained on the usual pitch dimensions — only for Souness to order the lines redrawn on matchday. It wasn’t elegant, but it was within the rules. Rangers won 2-0 to progress, and UEFA later changed the regulations to stop clubs doing the same again.

Gerrard’s West Ham Frustration

In April 2014, Liverpool travelled to face West Ham United amid their title chase. They won 2-1, thanks to two Steven Gerrard penalties, but the captain was far from happy with the hosts’ hospitality.

“They tried everything to upset us — a hot dressing room, a dry pitch, and the bus had to park a mile away,” he complained afterwards.

West Ham chairman David Gold swiftly replied on Twitter: “Mr Gerrard, nobody forced your bus driver to park a mile away. If the heating’s too warm, turn it down.”

Whether mind games or mere coincidence, it all added to the tension of that title run-in.

Mourinho’s Long Grass and Guardiola’s Frustration

The rivalry between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola was at its most intense during spring 2011, when Real Madrid and Barcelona met four times in just 18 days.

Mourinho, ever the pragmatist, allegedly ordered the Bernabeu ground staff to let the grass grow longer and slow the pitch’s watering to disrupt Barcelona’s lightning passing game. The match ended 1-1, but the move infuriated Guardiola and stoked the already fierce tension between the two sides.

Even Arsene Wenger reportedly had his own grass-related complaints. Former Stoke boss Tony Pulis once claimed that Wenger had written to the FA to protest about the long turf at the Britannia Stadium.

The Fine Line Between Ingenuity and Gamesmanship

From adjusted advertising boards to pink dressing rooms, football’s history is littered with examples of teams seeking every marginal advantage. Sunderland’s latest ploy against Arsenal fits neatly into that lineage — a reminder that football is as much about psychology and creativity as it is about tactics and skill.

Sometimes, the cleverest victories are the ones earned before a ball is even kicked.