Now over halfway into his debut seaon with Real Madrid, Trent Alexander-Arnold will hope to finally build up some momentum. It's been a stop-start season for the former Liverpool ace who has struggled to show his best in Spain so far.
A lot of his issues can be put down to injury problems, with a muscle tear meaning that, until last night, the Englishman had not started for Madrid since early November. In that time, he'd seen manager Xabi Alonso leave the club and Alvaro Arbeloa take over.
On Saturday, Alexander-Arnold finally got his first start of 2026, playing 60 minutes in the 4-1 win over Real Sociedad.
Alexander-Arnold Grabs Assist vs Real Sociedad
It was a great night for the right-back as he put in one of his best performances for Real Madrid yet. Most notably, he picked up a trademark assist as his clever cross was turned in by Gonzalo Garcia for the opening goal of the game.
Alexander-Arnold finished the match with five ball recoveries, one interception, and wasn't dribbled past once. He also had two key passes and completed 8/11 attempted long balls.
Manager Arbeloa was also very impressed. After the game, he told the press: “Trent is a top, top player returning to his best level. I'm not surprised, he's so intelligent”. “He understand the game incredibly well, his quality, his IQ, he is just unbelievable”.
Trent Alexander-Arnold in action for Real Madrid Related
Alvaro Arbeloa's Behind-Scenes Behaviour Towards Trent Alexander-Arnold at Madrid
Reports in Spain have revealed the new Real Madrid manager's treatment of Trent behind the scenes.
Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates scoring their first goal with Trent Alexander-Arnold
It's fair to say the local press were more than happy with what the right-back delivered for Madrid. A number of Spanish outlets have echoed Arbeloa's sentiments. For example, SI wrote:
"Simply sublime. Showed no signs of rust after so long on the sidelines and delivered a masterful performance down the right flank, headlined by his assist on the game’s opening goal."
Managing Madrid were very impressed as well, giving the Englishman an 8.5/10 in their player ratings, as they added: "Takes this team to another level. His distribution and composure were incredible tonight. The weight and variety of his passing constantly broke lines. His assist is what broke the deadlock."
Maca were simply blown away, as they ran with the title: "Has Beckham returned to the Bernabéu?" On the assist, the report added: "The Bernabéu finally got to see it for themselves: he has a magic touch with his right foot. We're talking about Trent , who isn't the defender with the most assists in Premier League history by chance. Real Madrid didn't sign a lazy player, even though his dismal start due to injuries raised some eyebrows. Trent's pinpoint passing accuracy makes him a playmaker from the wing, adding another dimension to the team. His pass to Gonzalo for the opening goal was a gift for the striker.
"First it was Michel, then Beckham... and now Trent. Few players in Real Madrid's history have displayed such ball striking ability from the right wing."
Football Espana also gave him a 7/10 in their player ratings and wrote: "First start in a couple of months, and he slotted back in seamlessly. He delivered a fine assist for Gonzalo’s goal in the opening minutes which set the tone for a fine performance."
Alexander-Arnold will no doubt be hoping this marks the start of a turnaround in form in Madrid. The biggest concern will be around his ability to stay fit.
Stats via SofaScore