Arbeloa talks Mbappe, Vinicius, Camavinga, Bellingham, Carvajal, VAR after Real Madrid 1-1 Girona | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s La Liga title ambitions suffered a significant blow after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Girona, and manager Alvaro Arbeloa did not hold back in his post-match assessment.

With tensions running high at the Santiago Bernabeu, the spotlight shifted to a controversial late incident involving Kylian Mbappe. 

The French forward appeared to be denied a clear penalty, leaving both players and fans stunned.

Speaking after the match, Arbeloa made his feelings crystal clear when asked about the incident involving Mbappe. 

He left no room for interpretation, stating,

“To me, that’s a penalty here and on the moon. And… well, it’s just another one. Another one, another week. That’s the way it is, and that’s just how it goes.”

Attacking the referee

Mbappe suffered a nasty blow. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The situation escalated further when Mbappe was left visibly injured after the challenge, yet VAR chose not to intervene. 

Arbeloa openly questioned the consistency of the system, offering a brutally honest take.

“ I don’t even understand it, and I don’t think… anyone does. When VAR intervenes… I guess it’s when it’s convenient, and when it’s not, well, it doesn’t. 

“It’s a play that, to me, is crystal clear. They called a foul on Kylian in the first half that, well, to me, was less than a penalty. And that’s it. 

“We’ve had a lot of issues with the referees. With this one… last week in Mallorca… well… same old story.”

When asked whether he had spoken to the referee after the game, his response was brief and telling: “No, no. Absolutely nothing.”

On Vinicius and Camavinga

Despite the controversy, Arbeloa shifted focus to his team’s overall performance, particularly the recent struggles in front of goal from key attackers like Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. 

However, he refused to single them out.

“I can’t worry about Mbappe and Vinicius’s stats. We need to improve as a team in many areas, and hopefully on Wednesday we can put an end to our slumps and be more clinical in front of goal.”

Arbeloa also shed light on his in-game decisions, including experimenting with Eduardo Camavinga in a deeper role.

“I wanted to see Eduardo in that position. He feels very comfortable as a defensive midfielder, and he understands that that’s the position where he performs best. 

“For me, it was important to see him, to make sure he understands what I want from that position.”

On Bellingham and Carvajal

Jude Bellingham returned to the starting XI. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

On Jude Bellingham, who recently returned to the starting lineup, the manager remained cautiously optimistic.

“We’ll see, we’ll see on Wednesday. But yes, I think Bellingham has looked good. Agile, confident. 

“Right now he’s pretty, pretty tired, as you’d expect. Because after being out for so long, this was the first game he started.”

Meanwhile, Dani Carvajal also earned praise for his improving form.

“Well, there are plenty of debates, but I don’t get involved in them. I’m lucky to have many players in different positions, and that’s the beauty of football.

“I’m very pleased with how Carvajal is performing. I think he’s getting better every day; he’s feeling better, his rhythm is improving, and he’s managing to last the full 90 minutes much better, as he’s been doing lately.”

Is La Liga over for Real Madrid?

While the result leaves Real Madrid on the brink in the title race, Arbeloa refused to concede defeat just yet, insisting the fight will continue until it is mathematically over.

“No, I’ll only feel that way on the day we lose it. Until we lose it, we’ll keep fighting. 

“As I always say: if we do lose it one day, we’ll have no choice but to go out in every match to defend our badge and put our best foot forward. 

“And that’s Real Madrid. So, right up until the very last day, we have to fight,” he concluded.

Source: AS