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Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are on the brink of elimination from the Carabao Cup after a shock defeat to Newcastle United at home.
Mikel Arteta's post-match comments following Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semifinals have sparked serious debate.
Arteta attributed part of his team's poor finishing to the "tricky" match ball used against the Magpies in the competition on Tuesday night.
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Arteta's Excuse
After the match, Arteta emphasised the differences between the Carabao Cup ball, manufactured by Puma, and the Premier League ball made by Nike.
He remarked, “It’s just different. This ball flies a lot. When you touch it, the grip is very different as well, so you have to adapt to that.”
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His comments came after Arsenal registered 23 attempts but managed to direct only three on target, a stark contrast to Newcastle's efficiency in front of goal.
Arteta noted that his players kicked several shots over the bar and acknowledged that adapting to the ball's behaviour was crucial for improving their performance.
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"We kicked a lot of balls over the bar; it’s tricky," he stated, suggesting that the team needed to generate more chances and adapt their approach to the unique characteristics of the match ball.
Context of the defeat
Despite Arsenal's dominance in possession and their expected goals figure of 3.09, Arteta refrained from placing all blame on his players.
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He expressed a belief that luck played a role in their missed opportunities and stressed the need for improvement moving forward.
As Arsenal prepares for the second leg at St. James' Park next month, Arteta remains hopeful that his team can turn around their fortunes, provided they can adapt to the challenges posed by both Newcastle and the Carabao Cup ball.
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