Premier League confirm huge change as Mikel Arteta’s complaints fall on deaf ears

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was mocked for blaming Puma’s ball for their Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to the Magpies in January – and now the Premier League has agreed a deal for the company to be their ball supplier

The Premier League have announced a partnership with Puma to become their official ball supplier – after Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta blamed the company’s ball for their Carabao Cup defeat by Newcastle this season.

Officials have agreed a deal with the sportswear manufacturer to supply footballs from the start of the 2025-26 season – replacing Nike. It’s a decision which might not go down well with Arteta after his complaints in January.

The Spaniard said the Puma ball used in Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg “flies a lot” and was “tricky”, as he claimed it was a factor in the team shooting over the bar so often.

Arsenal had 23 shots against the Magpies in the game but only three of them were on target. He said at the time: “I think we kicked a lot of the balls over the bar and it’s tricky that this ball flies a lot.

“It’s just different, it’s just very different to the Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies different. When you touch it, the grip is very different as well, so you have to adapt to that.”

Arteta was widely mocked by Newcastle fans over his comments as they chanted “Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball” at him during the second leg of their tie.

Now Arsenal will have to get used to the same ball for the foreseeable future after the Premier League struck a deal with Puma.

Premier League chief Richard Masters said: “We are delighted to be welcoming PUMA as the Official Ball Supplier of the Premier League. PUMA has a proud history of involvement in football over many years and we look forward to seeing the new ball used at all our matches from this summer onwards.”

Fans have been reacting to the news and one couldn’t help but poke fun at Arsenal and Arteta as he said: “I hope they make special balls for Arsenal games so that Arteta will stop complaining about the balls.”

One Arsenal fan couldn’t hide his disdain for the news as he posted: “Awful choice. Hopefully it’s a short term deal.”

Another added: Bad news for Arteta and Arsenal,” as a a third wrote: “Nothing will ever beat the Premier League Nike balls.”

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