Unacceptable! Alvaro Arbeloa takes responsibility for Madrid loss to Getafe

Real Madrid on Monday night suffered a huge setback in their pursuit of the LaLiga title after falling to shocking 1-0 loss to Getafe.

Despite heading into the game as favourite, Madrid failed to make use of their chances as Getafe held on to their 39th minutes lead.

The defeat means that the gap to Barcelona at the summit of La Liga remains at four points, a gap that in theory Los Blancos could overhaul. However, Madrid fans are not impressed with the team performance and do not see them overpowering Barcelona.

Martín Satriano of Getafe scores only goal during the LaLiga match against Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Arbeloa who replaced Xabi Alonso as the club manager believe the title race is still in play, taking responsibility for the home loss.

“No, now we have no other objective than to win the 36 points that remain at stake. This is Real Madrid and nobody gives up here. It’s a gap that we think we can close.”

Arbeloa also noted that his side did enough for the three points.

Zaid Romero and Sebastián Boselli of Getafe celebrate their victory over Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“We had clearer chances than Getafe. We had Vinicius’s chance, Rudiger’s chance, Rodrygo’s chance… We knew the kind of game we were going to play. Nothing happened that we didn’t know was going to happen, and that’s how I see the game.”

“Saying that ‘it’s impossible for us to play well, that’s putting words in my mouth that I have not said. It’s true that we had chances to score; it’s also true that we can play better. I can’t fault my players for their effort. The responsibility for improving our play is mine. If anyone is responsible for the defeat, it’s me.”

Arbeloa also had criticism for the officiating, despite Antonio Rudiger escaping a red card.

“Today we struggled against an opponent that defended very well. We needed to be more aggressive in certain situations. We always tend to rely on Vinicius for the easy option, but we need to be a constant threat on both flanks. There were also many interruptions. The referee allowed a game where the focus was on not playing. But I have no criticism of Getafe because they do what they’re allowed to do.”

Real Madrid will now be eager to bounce back when they face Celta Vigo at Balaidos this Friday. This will give them the second chance to reduce the gap to Barcelona to one point, ahead of the Catalans facing Athletic Club.

Following that, Real Madrid will take on Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg match.