League responds to Arteta after complaints with the ball: “Nobody said anything in the previous 88 games…”
Arsenal manager blames change of ball compared to Premier League as factor in defeat
The English Premier League (EFL) has responded to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and defended the ball used in League Cup games after the Spaniard said the ball’s spin may have been a factor in Tuesday’s semi-final first-leg defeat to Newcastle .
After the 0-2 defeat, Arteta was asked what he could do to be more effective, with the manager citing the change of ball from the Premier League – in accordance with the competition’s rules, a Puma ball was used instead of the usual Nike ball used in the Premier League. “I think we hit the bar a lot and it’s difficult because the ball flies a lot,” he said.
The EFL said however that it had never received any complaints prior to Arteta’s comments.
“As required, the ball used in the League Cup and the League since 2021/22 has been tested in accordance with the FIFA Quality Programme. The same ball has been used successfully in other major European leagues, including Serie A and LaLiga and our three divisions in the EFL. All clubs play with the same ball and we have not received any other comments of this nature in the previous 88 League Cup matches this season,” read a statement.
