"Excuses mean you cannot grow or move forward." Mikel Arteta learned many lessons from his former mentor but seems to have disregarded that particular pearl of wisdom. Arsenal's increasingly beleaguered boss blamed the "tricky" ball used in the Carabao Cup after his side's wayward performance in a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday.

Arsenal's manager blamed Puma's Oribita 1 after their cup defeat to Newcastle, but how marked is the variation between brands of balls?

The Telegraph’s claim that Mikel Arteta blamed the Carabao Cup ball for Arsenal’s defeat to Newcastle lacks nuance, oversimplifying his analysis of missed chances, but is anyone surprised?Arteta