Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta brought out an ancient excuse that we haven’t heard in 15 years for why his players couldn’t hit the target in their 2-0 loss to Newcastle on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup.
Arteta said the game balls were different.
The last time someone tried to blame the ball for their team’s failures was the 2010 World Cup with the infamous Jabulani ball. Arsenal’s boss now claims there are key differences between the Carabao Cup balls and Premier League balls.
Mikel Arteta Carabao Cup ball complaint
"It's just different, very different to the Premier League ball" ⚽
Mikel Arteta suggested the Carabao Cup ball was a contributing factor in their loss to Newcastle, and rued Arsenal's wastefulness in front of goal... pic.twitter.com/HTM9rPTI1R— Sky Sports (@SkySports) January 8, 2025
In a recently deleted tweet, the official Carabao Cup page roasted the Arsenal boss with a hilarious rebuttal. Whoever was in charge of the account posted a picture of rapper 50 Cent during his iconic “what he say f*ck me for?” video in response to Arteta's comments.
When the official Carabao Cup Twitter page is roasting your manager, you know you’ve hit rock bottom. It’s a shame someone from the PR team likely advised to delete the tweet.
A spokesperson for the EFL responded to Arteta’s complaints defending the match ball used.
“The same ball has been successfully used in other major European leagues, including both Serie A and LaLiga and our three divisions in the EFL,” the spokesperson said.
“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.”
Arsenal recorded 23 shots against Newcastle on Tuesday with just three being on target. The Gunners will get another chance against the spooky Carabao Cup ball in the second leg of the semifinal on Feb. 5.
