"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.

Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Newcastle United in the first leg of Arsenal's semifinal tie in the Carabao Cup was the latest example of the struggles manager Mikel Arteta is having to deal with personnel-wise.

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