New balls please!

[theonlywayisup]

Mikel Arteta last night said the ball was partly to blame for their defeat. Arteta insisted afterwards the different Puma match ball in the competition played a part because it is different to what they are used to in the Premier League.

Arteta said: “We also 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".

Does he have a point or is he talking rubbish?

It also made me think of any other reasons cited for a defeat other than the usual.

[Bostonhibby]

Looking at possibly winning nothing again so blaming the balls seems like the thing to do.

Presumably only one team was kicking these balls.

Maybe better to say it takes away the fear of getting beat 2-0 at home in a cup semi final?

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[Pretty Boy]

It's surely up to the team to train with the correct balls that will be used for the match?

The Champions League uses Adidas balls, the EPL Nike, the FA Cup Mitre and the League Cup Puma so it's not as if changing balls game to game, often in the same week, is something they aren't used to.

It's no different from any other league. Scotland uses Puma in the league but Adidas in the Scottish Cup. If we lose to Clydebank I won't be expecting Gray to be laying the blame on Adidas. Embarrassing from Arteta.

[hibsbollah]

He only said ‘we have to adapt’ to the different balls. So he’s absolutely not making excuses. Its just a fact that ball manufacture does make a big difference. You see it every major international tournament when keepers are throwing in shots from 40 yards because they cant read the flight and managers are crying about it. Itsa good headline though ‘manager cries and is a bad loser’.

[Paulie Walnuts]

I don’t doubt the ball can be different and it can make a difference. I’ve played with plenty footballs, some of them absolute fly aways, some of them not so much, some of them move more than others. It’s not a huge difference, but at professional level, it could have a slight impact. I play 3 games of 5 a sides a week and if you blind tested me I reckon I would know what ball was what from each game such is the difference.

That being said, as PB said, they’ll use a different ball for all different tournaments. They should be training with the ball they’re about to use in the build up to the match and it certainly can’t be used as an excuse as Newcastle will only play with a Puma ball in the Carabao Cup as well. I do think there’s a good chance there’ll have been a notable difference though.

[Big_Franck]

He's definitely trying to make an excuse and deflect away from another poor performance from his side. Looks like they'll win nothing again this year and they won't be able to point to an unbeatable City team to explain it away.

[Wilson]

He's talking balls.

[Aldo]

Funny that Newcastle managed just fine last night! Deflect deflect deflect!

Are you Clement in disguise?

[HibbyKeith]

Funny that Newcastle managed just fine last night! Deflect deflect deflect!

Are you Clement in disguise?Clement should have been watching that game last night. Huge lesson on how to keep a two goal lead. [emoji16]

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[BILLYHIBS]

Arsenal need to buy a decent striker simples

[Pete70]

He’s making excuses. They’re the same balls they played with in the earlier rounds. He didn’t complain when they won those matches.

[Scouse Hibee]

He’s making excuses. They’re the same balls they played with in the earlier rounds. He didn’t complain when they won those matches.

Exactly, what an embarrassing thing to bring up after a defeat, pathetic.

[gbhibby]

He’s making excuses. They’re the same balls they played with in the earlier rounds. He didn’t complain when they won those matches.
Probably annoyed that Newcastle sussed out how to defend their corner kicks. He is making a right Arsenal of himself bringing that up as an excuse.

[Bostonhibby]

I’m raging with someone about something.Something happened, and someone is to blame

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[PPZPOL]

Clement should have been watching that game last night. Huge lesson on how to keep a two goal lead. [emoji16]

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By going 5-5-0 which I thought was bizarre for an EPL team to do at another EPL team. Well aware they kept it to 2-0 but it was mingin to watch/see.

[Unseen work]

I would have if my manager came out speaking about how the balls are different after a defeat

[Donegal Hibby]

I wonder if Arteta thinks it’s a disgrace to use a different ball and is feeling sick 😂😂😂

https://youtu.be/On1G5G_-0FM?si=a7R01DZ2TbE2LyOB

[CyberSauzee]

A poor excuse to blame anything other than themselves. I was at the game and I knew Dan Burns was tall but the height of the players like Botman made it like giants against kids at times (he's listed as 6'4" but looks taller). Every high ball knocked into the box was easily dealt with by the Newcastle defence. They defended en masse and Arsenal had no clue how to break them down. Having said that if Martinelli had taken his chance in the first half I could see Arsenal winning.

[Hibees1973]

Arsenal need to buy a decent striker simples

Spot on Billy.

Isak scores that header Havertz missed.

[BILLYHIBS]

Spot on Billy.

Isak scores that header Havertz missed.

Defo need a target man someone to make the ball stick and feed off and help Saka Martinelli and Havertz etc and be competition for Jesus who is back to being a dud again maybe the wonder kid at Sporting ?

Who knows ?

[greenlex]

I’m watching Spurs v Liverpool playing the same ball. There been some amount of overhit passes and just plain poor ones. Terrible game. He maybe has a point about the ball.

[NC1875]

Clement will be using that one next time they’re beaten. 🙈🤣

[FilipinoHibs]

Arsenal still dominated the game in shots and pocession and nearly scored from 2 corners, the balls did fly from the headers. Newcastle came to defend and thrawted Arsenal rather than play with the ball.

[Aldo]

Arsenal still dominated the game in shots and pocession and nearly scored from 2 corners, the balls did fly from the headers. Newcastle came to defend and thrawted Arsenal rather than play with the ball.

Domination means absolutely nothing if you cannot score. For all their domination Newcastle had more SOT, 4 to Arsenals 3. Aye but the didn’t score that’s just it.

Newcastle went with a game plan and implemented it superbly well!

Your team winning regardless of how it’s done is surely all that matters, especially in the knockout stages of a cup competition.