Álvaro Arbeloa hails Trent Alexander-Arnold: “It’s been a pleasant surprise”

Real Madrid cruised past Real Sociedad with a 4-1 victory on Saturday. Even without the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham in the starting XI, Madrid had more than enough firepower to brush the visitors aside and move to the top of the LaLiga standings, albeit having played one game more than Barcelona.

Without Mbappé and Bellingham, goals came from Gonzalo García, Fede Valverde and a brace from Vinícius Júnior. However the stand-out moment from the game may well have been a pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold to set up García’s opener. The Englishman spotted the forward making a run in behind the Real Sociedad defense and curled an inch-perfect pass into his path, requiring only the faintest of touches to flick the ball into the back of the net.

Speaking after the game, Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa heralded Alexander-Arnold’s performance: “We’re not exactly breaking new ground with Trent. It’s been a very pleasant surprise to see how he understands the game, how he sees the spaces. These things are very important for a coach, having players who understand what’s wanted. Not just the passing to get the team running, but everything we want from him.”

Arbeloa continued: “[It was a] great match, considering the opponent and their streak, unbeaten under [Pellegrino] Mattarazo... We’ve had a great week of training, we prepared very well and it showed on the pitch.”

Next up for Madrid is a crucial Champions League playoff meeting with Benfica, the team who dramatically bumped them from the automatic playoff places last month. Los Blancos will return to the Estadio da Luz, looking for revenge on the Portuguese giants.

“We remember the Lisbon match very well, the difficulty it presents, the atmosphere. The aggression not only from Mourinho’s teams, but from that match in particular. We’ll try to bring back the victory and not think about the return leg,” Arbeloa said.