Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa has criticised the officiating after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United at Craven Cottage, claiming that “every decision” went in favour of the visitors.
Fulham appeared on course for their first Premier League victory of the season after Lisandro Martínez put the ball into his own net in the 63rd minute. However, United rescued a point when Matheus Cunha’s deflected effort found the net in the 89th minute.
Arbeloa was particularly unhappy with a free-kick awarded to United for a challenge on Harry Maguire just 35 seconds before Cunha’s equaliser.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the final whistle, the Fulham boss said:
“There were so many things for them; you can see it in the foul by Maguire. Every decision was for them.”
He then linked his frustration to the controversy surrounding United’s previous Premier League match against Manchester City, when Erling Haaland’s late winner was incorrectly allowed to stand. Pro Ref subsequently apologised to Manchester United, while VAR assistant Matt Donohue was stood down for the following weekend.
Arbeloa added:
“I knew after the game against Manchester City that they don’t like Manchester United to lose.”
The Spanish coach felt Fulham deserved more from a match in which they had opportunities to secure their first league win of the campaign.
“We were so, so close. We were a little bit unlucky again. We knew it would be difficult against this big team.”
United’s late equaliser extended Fulham’s wait for a first victory after five league matches, leaving them with two points and 19th place during the international break.
Arbeloa subsequently appeared to soften his comments during his post-match press conference, acknowledging that his English may have caused him to express himself poorly and saying he preferred not to say more about the officials.
“Maybe I explain myself so bad and I prefer not to say anything about the referees because you never know.”
He added that his focus should now be on analysing his team’s performance and preparing for the next match.
The controversy nevertheless adds another chapter to the debate over Premier League officiating following the previous weekend’s Manchester derby, with Arbeloa making clear that he believed Fulham were adversely affected by decisions during Sunday’s encounter.
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