Mikel Arteta has been mocked by Carabao Cup organisers after he suggested the match ball used against Newcastle United impacted his side Arsenal's defeat at the Emirates. The Magpies took a major step toward booking their place at Wembley with a brilliant 2-0 semi-final opening-leg victory.

Alexander Isak extended his remarkable run by netting his 10th goal from nine appearances before former Liverpool transfer target Anthony Gordon doubled Newcastle's lead in the second half.

Arsenal registered 23 shots in all but managed only three of those on target with both Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz missing golden chances to put the ball in the Magpies net

READ MORE: Liverpool line-ups for Tottenham as Ryan Gravenberch and other big names benched

READ MORE: Mohamed Salah drops Liverpool team news update for Tottenham after Arne Slot admission

Speaking after the loss, Arteta moved to illustrate that the PUMA match ball, which is used in the Carabao Cup, is different to the Nike alternative in the Premier League.

Prior to the first leg of their last-four clash, the Gunners had scored 11 times in the Carabao Cup this season.

"We kicked a lot of balls over the bar," said Arteta. "It's tricky. This ball flies a lot. It's just very different to the Premier League ball and we have to adapt to that. It flies different, and the grip is very different as well."

The Carabao Cup X account, which has nearly 600,000 followers, reposted a clip of Arteta speaking about the ball during his post-match press conference and accompanied it with a meme of US rapper 50 Cent wearing an exasperated expression in an apparent dig at the Arsenal manager's comments.

Despite the disappointing defeat, Arteta believes Arsenal can overturn the result when the two teams meet again at St James' Park on February 5.

"There is a long way to go and it's just half-time," he said. "When I see the team play, and how we deal with a lot of situations and play against a very good team I must say I have full belief that we can go out there and do it.

"We will have more players back and we will have more options and the freshness that we're going to need in that period."

For Newcastle, Eddie Howe's players have now won seven games in a row, and their superb victory in north London will allow them to dream of playing either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur in the final as they chase their first domestic trophy since 1955.

However, Howe is refusing to get carried away. "I have no problem with our supporters and what they want to think, but when you are in my shoes you have to be strategic," he said.

"You have to plan well and think what is ahead of you in the next few days. And that is what we have always done and that is what we will always do.

"The second leg is in the future and we will really look forward to that games when it comes round. But it now goes out of my focus until it needs to come back in."

Liverpool's first leg takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight.