MADRID — Alvaro Arbeloa praised Trent Alexander-Arnold, saying Real Madrid are “lucky to have” him after the full-back starred, providing an assist, in the team’s 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Alexander-Arnold’s ball into the box set up Gonzalo García to put Madrid ahead five minutes into the game at the Bernabéu, before two penalties from Vinícius Júnior and a goal from Federico Valverde secured the victory and put Madrid top of the LaLiga table.
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The England international has had a difficult first season in Spain, with injuries limiting him to just 466 minutes — and two assists — in LaLiga since his high-profile move from Liverpool last summer.
“We’re not going to discover anything new about Trent,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV. “It was a nice surprise to see how he understands the game, how he sees the spaces. Those things are very important for a coach, having players who understand what we want.”
Arbeloa picked Alexander-Arnold at right-back ahead of Dani Carvajal, after both players returned to fitness, with Valverde returning to his preferred midfield role.
Spain international Carvajal came on for Alexander-Arnold after an impressive 60-minute display.
“Working with [Alexander-Arnold], he strikes me as a very intelligent guy, who understands the game very well, and quickly grasps what we want from him,” Arbeloa added in his post-match news conference.
“He’s not the typical full-back who’s always going to be out wide, he can also play centrally. We want players to be able to interchange positions. We’re lucky to have a player like that.”
Arbeloa also praised Vinícius Júnior, who has now found the net in back-to-back league appearances for the first time since August, having been suspended last weekend.
“I’ve been seeing a great Vinícius for a month now, not just in this match,” Arbeloa said. “He’s been playing at a very high level, being a game-changer. For me, he’s a player who goes beyond the numbers, capable of influencing matches.”
Kylian Mbappé was an unused substitute on Saturday — replaced by García — but Arbeloa said he believed the star forward would be available to feature in Madrid’s Champions League playoff first leg at Benfica on Tuesday.
“Mbappé has been dealing with [left knee] discomfort for quite some time,” Arbeloa said. “He’s putting in a great effort every time he goes on the pitch. Today we decided not to take any risks with Tuesday in mind.”
