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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attributed his team’s poor finishing against Newcastle United on Tuesday to the physics of the Carabao Cup ball.
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Arsenal suffered a 2-0 defeat at home, despite dominating the statistics. They held 70% possession and took 23 shots on goal, but only three were on target. In contrast, Newcastle hit the target with four of their seven shots.
This isn’t the first time Arsenal has been criticized for lacking a clinical edge from open play, but Mikel Arteta argued that the Carabao Cup ball was a factor in his players’ struggles on Tuesday.
Arteta suggested that the type of ball used in the match played a significant role in his side’s finishing woes.
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“We kicked a lot of balls over the bar,” Arteta said. “It’s tricky. This ball flies a lot. It’s just different to the Premier League ball and we have to adapt to that.” He went on to explain that the grip and flight of the Puma ball used in the Carabao Cup were different from the Nike ball used in the Premier League, which he believes affected his players’ performance.
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Fans and pundits have reacted skeptically to Arteta’s comments, believing that blaming the ball is a weak excuse for the team’s failure to convert numerous opportunities. The Gunners will need to improve their finishing if they hope to overturn the deficit in the second leg at St James’ Park.
