Liverpool supporters have had their fun with Trent Alexander-Arnold this season as the Scouser struggles to settle in at Real Madrid.
The former Reds academy graduate became something of a pariah last summer after running his contract down at Anfield to join the Spanish giants.
Since then, injuries have disrupted his adaptation at Madrid, with an unsuccessful visit back home to Liverpool in November a particularly low point.
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Curtis Jones points to the Anfield stand in celebration during Liverpool's FA Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion
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Alexander-Arnold has played only seven times since then, with his first start under new manage – and fellow former Liverpool right-back – Alvaro Arbeloa arriving on Saturday evening.
The 27-year-old played a full hour, setting up Real’s opening goal of the game with a delightful assist for Gonzalo Garcia. And after seeing Alexander-Arnold on the pitch from the start for the first time, Arbeloa was delighted by what he witnessed.
‘Unbelievable’ Alexander-Arnold praised by Arbeloa
There is little question that Liverpool are missing Alexander-Arnold this season. One look at his assist on Saturday will tell you that.
Not many players could have found Garcia’s run and plonked it perfectly on a plate for him. The former Liverpool man is one of the very few who can.
Trent Alexander-Arnold crosses the ball during Real Madrid's La Liga match against Real Sociedad at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
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Arbeloa appears to understand that, and in quotes after Saturday’s 4-1 win, the Spaniard praised his No. 12’s ‘intelligence’ and football IQ.
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” he said via beIN SPORTS. “He is a very intelligent boy, who understands the game very well and quickly understands what we want from him. He is not the typical full-back who will always be wide, but he can also play inside. For us, we are lucky to have a player like that.
“Having Gonzalo in the area, he could look for crossing situations. He’s a great player, I’m not going to discover him now. I’m happy that he continues to get more minutes, get into a rhythm and find the best version of himself.”
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Curtis Jones and Anthony Gordon for Liverpool and Newcastle
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Are injury troubles behind Alexander-Arnold?
Right-back has been a real problem area for Liverpool this season. After years of being able to rely on Alexander-Arnold’s quality, they have struggled to move on from him.
That the England international has not had things go his own way either has meant that his Anfield exit last year has not really worked for anyone.
If he keeps turning up and delivering like this for Real Madrid, however, that will begin to change.
Whether he does that or not is likely to depend on whether Alexander-Arnold can stay fit. He has played a lot of football for a 27-year-old and had already started to have problems during his final two years at Liverpool.
As he has already shown Arbeloa, though, when he is on the pitch he can be a real difference-maker. What a pity it is no longer for Liverpool.
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