Mikel Arteta match ball complaints kicked out as EFL give answer to Arsenal manager's theory

Mikel Arteta bizarrely laid part of the blame for Arsenal's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg defeat to Newcastle United on the match ball, and the English Football League are having none of it.

It was his team's lack of a clinical edge that saw his team slip behind in the tie, nor was it the tactically astute Newcastle showcasing their camaraderie at the Emirates Stadium. Instead, it were the differences to the Premier League match ball that threw the Gunners off stride.

"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. 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," the Spaniard explained.

Apart from receiving a bewildered reaction from pretty much everybody who keeps up to date with football, the organisers of the Carabao Cup, the EFL, have hit back at the suggestion with one very clear point.

In their statement, the EFL, via ESPN, replied: "As is required throughout the professional game, the Puma ball used in this season’s Carabao Cup and in EFL competition since 2021/22 is tested in accordance with the Fifa Quality Programme for Footballs, and meets the FIFA Quality Pro standard.

"In addition to the Carabao Cup, the same ball has been successfully used in other major European leagues, including both Serie A and La Liga and our three divisions in the EFL. All Clubs play with the same ball, and we have received no further comments of this nature following any of the previous 88 fixtures which have taken place in this season’s Carabao Cup."