Mikel Arteta insists he will NOT make ball ‘excuses’ ahead of FA Cup showdown with Man United… after Arsenal boss bizarrely blamed the one used in Carabao Cup defeat by Newcastle

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists he will not use the ball used against Manchester United as an excuse. 

The Gunners will seek to bounce back from the 2-0 defeat by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup when the host the Red Devils in the third round of the FA Cup this weekend. 

Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon secured a memorable win for Eddie Howe‘s men at the Emirates, with the Arteta lamenting his team’s lack of cutting edge while admitting they struggled to deal with the Puma ball used on the night. 

Mitre – who supply the balls for the FA Cup – have unveiled that a customised one will be used in Arsenal’s clash with United this weekend.

And Arteta insists Arsenal must adapt again and should not complain about it.  

‘Every ball is different, different flight, different feeling,’ he said. ‘It is not an excuse. We adapt to that. I’d never use it as an excuse.’ 

The Spaniard claimed Arsenal struggled to adapt to the Puma ball used in the loss to Newcastle

Speaking after the loss to Newcastle, 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.

‘But at the end that’s gone, there’s no way back (and) it’s about the next game and that’s our world, the reality.’

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

‘It flies different… when you touch it, the grip is very different as well so you have to adapt to that.’

A special ball is set to be used in Sunday’s showdown to celebrate the fact that United are the current holders of the competition, having beaten arch-rivals Man City in last year’s final. 

The ball is only slightly different to the usual one used in the FA Cup, with it set to have gold accents across its surface. 

It will be the third ball the Gunners have dealt with in three matches, given the use of the Premier League one in last weekend’s top flight clash against Brighton.