"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.

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

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Emmanuel Petit has identified the three signings Mikel Arteta needs to make in January to kick-start Arsenal’s season and admits he is getting ‘frustrated’ and ‘annoyed’ by Gabriel Martinelli. The Gunners are struggling to show the consistency that enabled them to rival Manchester City for the Premier League title over the past two seasons.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is personally very eager for the Gunners to go and negotiate a deal for a highly-rated forward in January.

Our opinion on the latest Arsenal news and transfer gossip ahead of the Gunners' clash against Manchester United

Arsenal suffered a first defeat in 13 games when they lost 2-0 to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, leading to a frustration from supporters.