Fulham’s head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has taken aim at the officiating after a controversial 1-1 draw with Manchester United. The hosts were ahead through an own goal from Lisandro Martinez, but Matheus Cunha struck in the 89th minute to deny them all three points.
Arbeloa was particularly infuriated by a decision just before the equaliser, when a foul was given against Cesar Palacios for his challenge on Harry Maguire.
After the match, Arbeloa said:
Every foul went their way. Did you see the incident before their goal when they were awarded a foul on Maguire? He weighs 100 kilos. Every call seemed to go in their favour.
I knew it. After the match against Manchester City, I was aware that they wouldn’t be allowed to lose here. We deserved a bit more.
The Spaniard also linked his discontent to events from the previous week when Manchester United fell to a contentious 1-0 defeat against City following Erling Haaland's controversial winner.
Arbeloa continued:
We were so close. Very, very close. We were a bit unlucky again. We knew it would be tough against such a big team.
And we were aware of what had happened last week. We saw the officiating throughout the match, making it difficult for us. We just weren’t fortunate.
However, during the post-match press conference, Arbeloa softened his tone, suggesting he may not have articulated his thoughts properly in English.
The Fulham manager explained:
My English isn’t great. I might have miscommunicated my opinion, so I prefer not to comment on the referees.
When you say things you shouldn't, it’s better to just calm down and focus on your team’s performance and the next match.
I’m not particularly happy. Maguire is a big lad, and perhaps there wasn't a foul there. But it’s alright. I'd rather analyse the game, the players and the system. Missing out on a win in such a match naturally brings disappointment.
Former Manchester United defender Ashley Young disagreed with Arbeloa’s accusations.
Young remarked:
That was definitely a foul. Palacios wasn’t looking at the ball and collided into Maguire’s back. Yes, Arbeloa says Maguire weighs 100 kilos, but he plays smart and anticipates the contact.
