Fulham’s difficult start has acquired an unwanted extra layer, with Álvaro Arbeloa facing a Football Association charge after his criticism of the officiating in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Craven Cottage.
In the dressing room
The Fulham manager, appointed in the summer after his time on the Real Madrid coaching staff, has yet to oversee a Premier League win. Five matches have brought only two points, leaving the Cottagers second from bottom of the table.
| Club | Premier League position | Matches played | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulham | 19th | 5 | 2 |
Now Arbeloa has been charged with improper conduct over remarks made in his post-match interview following the match against Michael Carrick’s Manchester United on Sunday 20 September.
The FA says the Spaniard’s comments suggested bias and called into question the integrity of the referee. Its case is that Arbeloa implied that officials had been influenced by decisions which went against United in their previous-week derby defeat to Manchester City.
“There will be no allowing Manchester United to lose after the City game,” Arbeloa said after the final whistle, arguing that nearly every significant call had gone the visitors’ way.
The moment that rankled
Fulham’s main grievance concerned the incident before Matheus Cunha’s 89th-minute equaliser. A free-kick was awarded for a foul on Harry Maguire, though Fulham believed it should not have been given.
Arbeloa also noted that United completed the afternoon without a single yellow card.
The FA’s disciplinary update stated that the Fulham boss had made inappropriate comments in a broadcast interview by appearing to imply partiality from an official. Arbeloa has until Thursday 1 October to respond to the charge.
The week ahead
Fulham need points as much as they need calm. Arbeloa’s side remain in the bottom two after five fixtures, still waiting for the first win that might settle a side whose early-season margins have been painfully thin. Before the next league test, however, the manager must first deal with the FA’s deadline and the consequences of an afternoon that ended level on the pitch but has carried on long after it.
