Manchester United Under Pressure After Atletico Defeat

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa has been fined $33,163 and warned by the English Football Association (FA) over comments he made after Fulham drew 1-1 with Manchester United on September 20. United secured a point at Craven Cottage when Matheus Cunha scored a deflected equaliser in the 89th minute. After the match, Arbeloa said he had known “they don’t let Manchester United lose here,” referring to a previous United match against Manchester City. In that game, Erling Haaland’s goal for 10-man City at Old Trafford was initially ruled out for offside, then awarded after a lengthy and contentious VAR review, giving City a 1-0 win. The FA said Arbeloa’s post-match remarks allegedly implied bias and questioned a match official’s integrity. Arbeloa admitted the charge, and the FA announced the fine and warning on Wednesday. The 43-year-old Spaniard, a former Real Madrid coach, became Fulham manager in July. He is still seeking his first league victory with the club, which is bottom of the standings with two points from six matches.

Manchester United lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital, leaving manager Michael Carrick under pressure after another difficult night. Atletico took the lead after just 50 seconds, when Alex Baena broke down the left and crossed for Pablo Barrios to score against United’s high defensive line. United created chances through Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford, but Jan Oblak denied Mbeumo and Rashford failed to make the most of his opportunity. Atletico had a Johnny Cardoso goal ruled out for a Marcos Llorente handball, while Julian Alvarez struck the post after half-time. United’s hopes worsened when Leny Yoro was sent off in the 74th minute for denying Jonathan David a goalscoring opportunity. Carrick called the decision harsh and said he disagreed with the red card, arguing that the incident did not clearly merit a dismissal. Five minutes later, Ademola Lookman scored into an empty net after David’s shot was saved. The player ratings reflect a mixed United performance: Carlos Baleba earned the team’s highest score, with the article praising his energy and passing on his first start, while Andrey Santos was described as steady. Mbeumo showed attacking threat, but several players struggled to influence the match. Bruno Fernandes had moments of quality, including hitting the crossbar, though he was less effective while deployed on the right. Rashford was judged ineffective, and the substitutes made little impact; Joshua Zirkzee missed a late chance. The article also notes that United’s makeshift defence had a difficult start and that the defeat adds to pressure on Carrick.

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club’s leadership after its 2-0 Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid, arguing that the squad needs more signings to compete with Europe’s leading teams. The defeat extended United’s winless run to five matches in all competitions under Michael Carrick. Martinez said responsibility also rested with the players, but specifically called on director of football Jason Wilcox and the club’s leadership to strengthen the squad. Atletico scored through Pablo Barrios in the opening minute, then sealed the win with Ademola Lookman’s 79th-minute goal, shortly after United defender Leny Yoro was sent off. United have three points in the Champions League league phase, following a 4-0 opening win over Sabah FK, and are back in the competition after a two-season absence. Former United player Wayne Rooney criticised Martinez’s public remarks, calling them disrespectful to his teammates and warning that they could unsettle the dressing room. He said such concerns should be discussed privately and argued Martinez had tried to speak for the squad in the wrong way. The article also reports other Champions League results: Barcelona recovered from a first-half deficit to beat Galatasaray 4-1, with Lamine Yamal setting up two goals, while Arsenal scored three times in seven minutes to defeat Lille 3-0. United, 13th in the Premier League, were due to visit Leeds before travelling to Como for their next Champions League fixture.