Mikel Arteta pointed to Arsenal's struggle with the Carabao Cup ball as a contributing factor in their 2-0 semifinal defeat to Newcastle United. He noted the team faced difficulties adapting to the ball's different flight, grip, and behavior compared to their regular Nike ball, which led to missed scoring opportunities despite generating a high expected goals figure of 3.12. Arteta emphasized the importance of addressing this in preparation for their return match.
Arteta elaborated on how the ball's differing characteristics impacted performance: "It is just different, very different to the Premier League ball. You have to adapt to that because it flies differently. When you touch it, the grip is very different and you have to adapt." His emphasis was on how playing with the Carabao Cup ball required players to adjust their techniques to achieve success on the pitch.
Reflecting on the psychological impact of missing chances, Arteta stated, "Just try and show them, give them tips of what we can do better... this ball flies a lot. We discuss that as well so there are details we can do better. But at the end, that's gone. This is no way back, it is about the next game. That is our world." This reflects his focus on resilience and adaptation after the defeat.
Historically, ball complaints are not new; Arteta recalled Pep Guardiola's similar frustrations while at Manchester City with a different ball in 2017, claiming, "to score with that ball is a miracle." This connection indicates a broader conversation about how different equipment affects performance and player experience across competitions.
Collection
[
|
...
]