It’s a privilege to have a player like Trent Alexander-Arnold, reveals Arbeloa

Madrid—Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa hailed Trent Alexander-Arnold as “a very intelligent guy” after the 27-year-old marked his first start in more than two months by setting up the opening goal in Saturday’s 4-1 rout of Real Sociedad.

Alexander-Arnaold, operating in an inverted full-back role, drifted inside to deliver a pinpoint cross that Gonzalo García steered home after only five minutes, a moment that propelled los Blancos above Barcelona to the summit of LaLiga.

“From working with him and speaking with him, he seems like a very intelligent guy,” Arbeloa told reporters. “He understands the game very well and quickly grasps what we want from him and where we can make the most of him.

“He’s not the typical full-back who stays wide all the time; he can play a lot inside in our system, where we want players to move and interchange positions. It’s a privilege to have a player like that, who can play inside and also stretch the play wide.”

The England international’s delivery from dead-ball situations and his ability to launch rapid counters were elements Madrid had targeted pre-match, elements that materialised inside the opening exchanges.

Yet competition for the right-back berth is intensifying. Dani Carvajal, also easing back from injury, made what Arbeloa termed “the first step” toward reclaiming a starting berth. With neither player ready to shoulder a relentless schedule, the coach plans a shared workload.

“Neither is ready to play 90 minutes every three days, so we’ll need both throughout the season because they’re very different and can offer different things,” Arbeloa explained. “My objective is to have them both at 100 percent and then be able to use them interchangeably.”

For now, Alexander-Arnold’s seamless reintegration offers Madrid tactical flexibility at a pivotal stage of the title race.