Fulham Manager Arbeloa Fined and Warned by FA for Post-Match Comments on Manchester United Draw

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa has been fined $33,163 and issued a warning by the English Football Association (FA) for remarks made after his team's 1-1 draw with Manchester United on September 20, 2026. Arbeloa suggested that officials would not permit Manchester United to lose the Premier League fixture at Craven Cottage.

Manchester United secured a point in the match, with Matheus Cunha's deflected equalizer arriving in the 89th minute. Following the game, Arbeloa stated, “I knew after the game against Manchester City that they don’t let Manchester United lose here.” This comment referenced a prior league match where Manchester United defeated a 10-man Manchester City 1-0 at Old Trafford, with Erling Haaland scoring the winning goal after a lengthy and contentious VAR review overturned an initial offside decision.

The FA's statement indicated that the Fulham head coach was alleged to have acted improperly by making comments in a post-match interview that implied bias or questioned the integrity of a match official. Arbeloa admitted to the charge, as confirmed by the FA. The 43-year-old Spaniard, who took charge of Fulham in July, is still seeking his first league victory with the London club, which currently sits at the bottom of the standings with two points from six matches.