Mikel Arteta appears to have partly attributed Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final to issues with the ball.
Arteta, 42, expressed dissatisfaction with the result, which leaves his team in a challenging position ahead of the second leg at St James’ Park on February 5.
Alexander Isak scored for Newcastle in the 37th minute, with Anthony Gordon extending the lead on the 51st minute, much to the joy of the traveling fans. ..Continue Reading
The Gunners managed 23 shots, but only three were on target. Gabriel Martinelli hit the post, and both William Saliba and Kai Havertz missed clear scoring opportunities.
During the post-match press conference, Arteta suggested that the Carabao Cup ball could be “tricky,” possibly contributing to Arsenal’s lackluster finishing.
“We kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it’s tricky that these balls fly a lot so there’s details that we can do better,” he said.
“But at the end that’s gone – there’s no way back, it’s about the next game and that’s our world, the reality is our world.
“It’s just half-time. When I see the team play, and how we deal with a lot of situations and play against a very good team, I must say I have full belief that we can go out there and do it.”
The ball used in the competition is manufactured by Puma, while the Premier League ball is made by Nike.
“It’s just different,” said Arteta when asked to elaborate on his comments concerning the ball.
“It’s very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies different. “When you touch it the grip is very different as well, so you adapt to that.”
On Sunday, Arsenal will face Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Cup third round. They will have to adjust to a different ball for the match, as the competition uses the Mitre Ultimax Pro.
Mikel Arteta is likely to focus on getting his players acquainted with the new ball in the days leading up to the game.
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