EFL stated in response to Mikel Arteta’s complaints over the Carabao Cup ball… after the Gunners boss claimed they ‘fly a lot’ following semi-final first-leg defeat

The EFL has defended the ball used in the Carabao Cup this season after Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta suggested it had played a factor in their missed chances against Newcastle. Arsenal suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday night.

The Gunners had 23 shots at the Emirates, but had just three attempts on target with Kai Havertz producing a glaring miss when he misjudged a header and shouldered the ball wide

‘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,’ Arteta said post-match.

‘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.’

When pressed further on the issue, Arteta added: ‘No, it’s just different. It’s very different to the Premier League ball and you have to adapt to that.