8th January 2025 11:54:11 AM
2 mins readArsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains confident that his team can still make it to the Carabao Cup final, despite admitting that they need to get better at handling the “tricky” ball used in the competition.
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The Gunners suffered a 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the first leg of the semi-final on Tuesday, with goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon sealing the win for the Magpies.
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Arsenal created a lot of chances, taking 23 shots during the match. However, only three were on target. Gabriel Martinelli hit the post, and Kai Havertz missed a golden opportunity with a wayward header.
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In his post-match press conference, Arteta addressed the missed opportunities, stating that he wouldn’t ask his players to change their approach but highlighted the challenges posed by the ball used in the tournament.
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“We 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,” he said.
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“But at the end that’s gone – there’s no way back, it’s about the next game and that’s our world, the reality is our world.
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“It’s just half-time. When I see the team play, and how we deal with a lot of situations and play against a very good team, I must say I have full belief that we can go out there and do it.”
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Prior to the defeat by Newcastle, the Gunners had scored 11 goals in three EFL Cup ties so far this season.
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The ball in the competition is made by Puma, while the ball used in the Premier League is manufactured by Nike.
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“It’s just different,” said Arteta when asked to go into more detail about the ball.
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“It’s very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies different.
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“When you touch it the grip is very different as well, so you adapt to that.”
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