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Alvaro Arbeloa accuses referees of bias towards Manchester United after last-gasp Fulham draw
21st September, 2026 08:19 AM
Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa has not had the best start to life in the Premier League. Despite the Manchester trip to West London almost bringing his first win, the game ended in disappointment for the Spaniard after a late Manchester United equaliser.
The under-fire manager was well on course to securing a first Premier League win in charge of the Cottagers after a Lisandro Martinez own goal put them ahead with 27 minutes of normal time remaining.
However, Matheus Cunha’s deflected strike in the 89th minute saw the Spaniard’s team drop points in yet another encounter as they settled for a draw against the Red Devils.
The outcome left the club with only two points from a possible 15 in the top flight.
Every decision went United’s way
Speaking after the tie, the former Real Madrid coach did not hold back his views, launching a scathing attack on the referees regarding their decision-making.
“There were so many things for them. Every decision was for them. I knew after the game against Man City that they don’t like Man Utd to lose. We were so, so close to our first victory that we are a little bit upset now,” he lamented.
He was particularly livid with the free kick given to United’s Harry Maguire on the halfway line just before their equaliser.
Arbeloa felt that Cesar Palacios’ foul on Maguire was soft, claiming that referee Peter Bankes gave “all fouls” to Manchester United.
Frustrated
“All fouls for them,” Arbeloa continued. “You can see before they scored, the foul against Maguire; he’s a guy who is 100 kilos. Every decision was for them. [Maguire] is a very big guy and maybe it wasn’t a foul. But it’s ok. As I said, I prefer to analyse the game—players, systems—and it’s best to win.”
“You know when you draw a game like that, maybe you’re a little bit frustrated.”
His opening four fixtures set a grim tone for the Cottagers, yielding three consecutive defeats: a 2-3 loss against Chelsea, a narrow 0-1 reverse to Sunderland, and another 2-3 slip-up against Crystal Palace. He ultimately seemed to steady the ship with a hard-earned 0-0 draw against Liverpool. That initial winless run left the Spanish coach desperate to turn a corner and kickstart his tenure in West London.
That long-awaited breakthrough nearly materialised against Manchester United, only for a late twist to deepen his early struggles
