Fulham’s wait for a first Premier League win stretched on at Craven Cottage, and Álvaro Arbeloa did not hide his frustration after Manchester United found a last-minute equaliser to deny his side the points.
The Spaniard, whose team have collected only two points from their opening five fixtures and remain in the relegation places, believed Harry Maguire had committed a foul 35 seconds before United scored. Arbeloa said the incident was part of a wider pattern of decisions that had gone against Fulham during the match.
“We came extremely close,” he said. “There was bad luck again, but we knew it would be hard against a big side. You could see what the referee did throughout the game.”
His complaint sharpened when discussing the build-up to United’s leveller. “Everything went their way. Just look at Maguire’s foul. Every decision favoured them. After the Manchester City match, I knew they do not like Manchester United losing.”
The remarks are expected to bring Football Association action, with Arbeloa’s criticism of Premier League officials likely to be examined.
Fulham left to chase a first win
For all the anger at the final whistle, Arbeloa was keen to protect a Fulham performance which had taken them to the edge of a much-needed victory. “We were very close to our first win, so naturally we are disappointed,” he said. “But I think we played well.”
He felt his players had shown nerve despite beginning the weekend bottom of the table. Fulham, he said, had been brave in possession and had played with personality, while accepting there were spells when they had to defend in depth.
“It was not an easy game for us, clearly, because we were last,” Arbeloa said. “But we showed character with the ball and courage. There were times when we had to defend, but overall it was a good performance.”
Arbeloa also pointed to the difficulty of Fulham’s early schedule as he looked for perspective. Their first five games have already included Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as trips to Anfield and Sunderland. The table, though, will not be softened by the fixture list forever. Fulham need the first win soon.
