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Mikel Arteta has been mocked by Carabao Cup organisers after he suggested the match ball used against Newcastle impacted Arsenal’s defeat at the Emirates.
Newcastle took a major step towards booking their place at Wembley with a brilliant 2-0 semi-final opening-leg victory. Alexander Isak extended his remarkable run by netting his 10th goal from nine appearances before Anthony Gordon doubled the visiting side’s lead in the second half.
Arsenal registered 23 shots in all but managed only three of those on target with both Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz missing golden chances to put the ball in the Newcastle net.
Speaking after the loss, Arteta moved to illustrate that the PUMA match ball, which is used in the Carabao Cup, is different to the Nike alternative in the Premier League. Prior to the first leg of their last-four clash, Arsenal had scored 11 times in the Carabao Cup this season.
“We kicked a lot of balls over the bar,” said Arteta. “It’s tricky. This ball flies a lot. It’s just very different to the Premier League ball and we have to adapt to that. It flies different, and the grip is very different as well.”
The Carabao Cup X account, which has nearly 600,000 followers, reposted a clip of Arteta speaking about the ball during his post-match press conference – and accompanied it with a meme of US rapper 50 Cent wearing an exasperated expression – in an apparent dig at the Arsenal manager’s comments.
Despite the disappointing defeat, Arteta believes the Gunners can overturn the result when the two teams meet again at St James’ Park on February 5.
“There is a long way to go and it’s just half-time,” he said. “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.
“We will have more players back and we will have more options and the freshness that we’re going to need in that period.”
The pressure is on Arteta to deliver his second trophy as manager to follow on from the club’s FA Cup triumph in 2020. Arsenal will open this season’s FA Cup campaign with a home tie against Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday.
And Arteta continued: “We’ll focus on this performance, what we have done, why we didn’t win the game and understand that and make improvements and recharge.
“We need a lot of energy. We have a big game here against United in a different competition, so let’s move on. You have to turn things around.”
For Newcastle, Eddie Howe’s players have now won seven games in a row, and their superb victory in north London will allow them to dream of playing either Liverpool or Tottenham in the final as they chase their first domestic trophy since 1955.
However, Howe, who has steered his team to fifth in the Premier League, is refusing to get carried away.
“I have no problem with our supporters and what they want to think, but when you are in my shoes you have to be strategic,” said Howe.
“You have to plan well and think what is ahead of you in the next few days. And that is what we have always done and that is what we will always do.
“The second leg is in the future and we will really look forward to that games when it comes round. But it now goes out of my focus until it needs to come back in.”
