Arsenal dealt fresh blow as Carabao Cup ball slammed by Mikel Arteta to be used in Premier League next season
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THE Carabao Cup ball slammed by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be used in the PREMIER LEAGUE next season. Gunners chief Arteta suggested the “tricky” Puma ball used by the EFL in its flagship competition had been a factor in his side’s shooting woes during the 2-0 semi-final first leg defeat by Newcastle.
![[Mikel Arteta slammed the ball used in their semi-final defeat to Newcastle]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/arsenals-spanish-manager-mikel-arteta-962229609_55c966.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Arteta said the Puma balls “fly a lot”, admitting “there’s details that we can do better”. Pressed further, Arsenal's boss added: “It’s just different. It’s very different to a Premier League ball. “You have to adapt to that because it flies different.
![[The boss claimed the ball 'flies a lot']](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/epa11811770-gabriel-martinelli-arsenal-takes-962222578.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
“When you touch it, the grip is very different as well, so you adapt to that.”. But Arteta and his players will certainly have to adapt next term as Prem chiefs will switch to the SAME ball for the new season. The Prem has used Nike balls since 2000 but a contract dispute saw the decision to switch to Puma from the 2025-26 season in what was described as a “lucrative” deal.
SunSport understands that an exact version of the Carabao Cup ball has already been developed and agreed as the new Prem model - despite the complaints by some managers about it this season. Moving to Puma may, though, help ease the delayed introduction of semi-automated offside technology.
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS. The versions used by Fifa and Uefa have been developed in collaboration with Adidas, while Italy’s Serie A has brought in the technology with a Puma ball. PGMOL had hoped to introduce a semi-automated system developed by US-based Genius Sports in the autumn but it is now not expected to be unrolled until next term after issues in decision-making accuracy.
