Arbeloa hails Alexander-Arnold’s genius as Real Madrid thrash Sociedad 4-1 to go top of La Liga | OneFootball

Alvaro Arbeloa has praised Trent Alexander-Arnold for his role in Real Madrid's 4-1 win over Real Sociedad.

Alexander-Arnold impressed as Real Madrid moved to the top ofLa Liga with a comfortable win over Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

The 27-year-old created the opening goal for Gonzalo Garcia inside five minutes, with awonderful arcing cross into the Sociedad penalty box.

It was a moment of real quality from Alexander-Arnold, who has endured a tough time since his summer arrival from Liverpool. Injuries have restricted the right-back to just six league starts, while his delightful delivery for Garcia was only his second assist of the 2025-26La Liga campaign.

Arbeloa is in no doubt that the England international will become an important player in the side. The head coach praised the football IQ of Alexander-Arnold post-match and said he believes the defender is 'returning to his best level' after multiple lay-offs this season.

“Trent is a top, top player returning to his best level. I'm not surprised, he's so intelligent," Arbeloa said at his post-match press conference.

“He understand the game incredibly well, his quality, his IQ, he is just unbelievable. I won’t say he surprised me, but he seems like a very intelligent lad who understands the game very well and quickly grasps what we want from him.

"He’s not your typical full-back who’s always going to be wide; he can also play centrally. We’re lucky to have a player like that. With Gonzalo in the box, he could look for crosses. He’s a great player; I’m not going to discover that now. I’m happy that he continues to get playing time, find his rhythm, and keep getting back to his best form.

“It’s been a very pleasant surprise to see how he understands the game, how he sees the spaces. Things that are very important for a coach: having players who understand what’s wanted. Not just the passing to get the team running, but to implement everything we want from him.”