Thomaz Oseghale
Newcastle United appeared to target Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after their Carabao Cup semi-final exit, with a post on X captioned “The culprit,” featuring a photo of the match ball.
This post followed Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the second leg, which resulted in a 4-0 aggregate defeat and ended their hopes of reaching another Wembley final.
The Gunners’ only remaining chances for silverware this season are in the Premier League and the Champions League.
The post seemed to reference Arteta’s earlier comments about the match ball used in the Carabao Cup.
After Arsenal’s first-leg defeat at the Emirates, Arteta explained that the match ball in the League Cup was “different” from the one used in the Premier League, claiming it “flies differently” and has a different grip.
He reiterated this stance when discussing the FA Cup ball before a match against Manchester United, saying that every ball, including those in the Champions League, feels different, but he stressed that it was not an excuse for poor performance.
The post from Newcastle could be interpreted as a lighthearted jab at Arteta’s previous remarks, suggesting that the ball was not to blame for Arsenal’s defeat.
With their Carabao Cup exit, Arsenal’s focus will now turn to domestic and European competitions, while Newcastle can take pride in their achievement of reaching the final.
