EPL: Referees helped Man Utd avoid defeat – Fulham manager, Arbeloa
Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa expressed frustration with the officiating following his team’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Craven Cottage on Sunday. Arbeloa suggested that referees were biased in favor of United, citing a controversial free-kick awarded moments before Matheus Cunha’s deflected equalizer in the 89th minute.
The match saw United take the lead, but Arbeloa was particularly upset about what he described as a “soft” foul called against Fulham’s Cesar Palacios on United’s Harry Maguire just 35 seconds before the goal. He criticized referee Michael Oliver and his officiating crew, claiming that they consistently favored United throughout the match.
“All fouls for them,” Arbeloa told Sky Sports. “You can see before they scored, the foul against Maguire—he’s a guy who weighs 100 kilos. Every decision was for them.”
Arbeloa connected the referee’s decisions to prior controversies, referencing an “error in judgment” that he believes benefited United during last weekend’s Manchester derby, where Erling Haaland’s late goal was also a point of contention.
“I knew after the game against Man City that they [would not] let Manchester United lose here,” Arbeloa stated. “We deserved a little bit more.”
