Mikel Arteta brutally trolled by Man Utd over bizarre match ball comments after 10-man Red Devils deliver 'justice' by claiming dramatic FA Cup penalty shootout victory over Arsenal

The Gunners boss had no issue with the ball used in a third-round clash with the Red Devils, as his side suffered penalty shootout heartache against 10-man opponents at Emirates Stadium, but did recently speak out against the PUMA product in Carabao Cup competition.

Arteta said after suffering a 2-0 semi-final first leg defeat to Newcastle: “We kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it’s tricky that these balls fly a lot. It’s very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently. When you touch it, the grip is very different as well, so you have to adapt to that.”

The EFL responded to that statement by pointing out that “all clubs play with the same ball”, and Arteta remains a figure of fun to some in the wake of a rather lame excuse. United have now got in on the act, pointing out that “this ball flies a lot” when posting an image of Bruno Fernandes crashing home a spectacular opening goal in their cup win over Arsenal.

The Red Devils also claimed that “justice” had been served in north London as they emerged triumphant at the end of an absorbing encounter. United took issue with a number of decisions from match referee Andy Madley, but prevailed 5-3 in a dramatic battle of nerves from 12 yards.

United have lined up a fourth-round clash with Leicester, as they seek to successfully defend their FA Cup crown, while Arteta and Arsenal are facing more questions of whether they need to spend big on a proven goal-scorer during the January transfer window – after seeing Kai Havertz fluff his lines against the Red Devils.