“Arteta” laments that the ball played a part in creating finishing problems

Browse By

Mikel Arteta remains confident Arsenal can reach Carabao Cup final and says the ball used in the game has contributed to the finishing problems.

Arsenal lost 2-0 to Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon. 

The home side had 23 shots in the game but only three were on target, with Gabriel Martinelli hitting the post and Kai Havertz heading wide. 

Asked about the missed chances, Arteta said he would not tell the players to change anything, but spoke about the impact of the ball.

“We kicked the ball over the bar a lot and it was difficult because the ball was always high up, so there were other details that we could have done better.”

“But in the end it’s over, there’s no going back. It’s the next game and that’s our world.”

“It’s only half-time now. When I saw the team play and how we handled a lot of situations and played against a very good team, I have to say I fully believe we can go out there and do it.”

Before the defeat, the Gunners had scored 11 goals in three Carabao Cup games this season.

The ball used in this competition is produced by Puma, while the ball used in the Premier League is produced by Nike.

Asked to elaborate on the ball, Arteta said: “It’s just different. It’s very different to the ball in the Premier League and you have to adapt to it because it flies in the air differently.”

“When you touch it, the grip is very different too, so you adapt to it.” 

However, the BBC has revealed statistics from Arsenal’s previous three games in this year’s competition do not suggest the ball will cause them too much trouble. They thrashed Bolton 5-1 in their opening game before beating Preston 3-0 and Crystal Palace 3-2 to reach the last four.

Arsenal’s goal-scoring record in the Carabao Cup is similar to that in both the Premier League and the Champions League, เล่นเกมคาสิโน UFABET ทันสมัย ฝากถอนง่าย with Adidas the ball supplier for Europe’s top club competitions.

Going into the first leg of the semi-final, Arsenal had 27 of their 51 shots on target in the Carabao Cup this season, an average of 53%.

In the Premier League, Arsenal have had 102 shots on target from 197 attempts, an average of 52%.

In the Champions League, Arsenal have had 33 of their 57 shots on target, an average of 58%.