Arbeloa warns Fulham must hit Anfield levels to contain struggling Man United

Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has backed Michael Carrick to cope with the scrutiny surrounding Manchester United while calling on his own side to replicate their Anfield display when the two clubs meet at Craven Cottage on Sunday in the Premier League.

Carrick arrives at Fulham under mounting pressure after back-to-back defeats against Manchester City and Brighton, results that follow an opening-day loss to Hull City and a last-minute draw at Everton. United’s solitary top-flight win this season came against Ipswich Town, who were arguably the better side for long stretches of that game at Old Trafford.

Arbeloa, speaking at his pre-match press conference, was measured when asked whether Carrick’s position was under threat. “Every Premier League manager is under pressure,” the Spaniard said. “It’s not because of what comes from outside, it’s because you have to be really demanding of yourself. All the managers want to win every weekend. For sure, when you are a coach of a big team you are always under pressure, but same for me because I need to win games. Both teams will want to win the game on Sunday, so it’s going to be a good battle.”

Fulham arrive at the fixture without a Premier League win of their own this season, though Arbeloa will draw encouragement from a goalless draw at Liverpool last weekend and a Carabao Cup victory over West Ham in midweek. Despite United’s difficult run, the Fulham boss was in no mood to underestimate the visitors, insisting his players must perform at their ceiling.

“We are facing one of the best teams in the world and we know that and we need to be ready,” Arbeloa said. “We need to be at our best level, the same level we saw at Anfield.”

For United, Sunday’s match represents their last opportunity to build momentum before a three-week international break, with players including Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo set to join up with their respective national squads. The Reds return to Premier League action against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on 19 October.