Trent Alexander-Arnold shined in his return to the XI in Real Madrid’s 4–1 victory over Real Sociedad, and he followed up his excellent performance with a four-word message on social media that serves as a warning to the team’s upcoming opponents.
The England international posted five photos from his monumental night on Saturday in which he got the nod for the first time in 73 days. It took only five minutes for Alexander-Arnold to set up Gonzalo García to score the game’s opening goal, bagging just the second La Liga assist of his career.
The heartfelt slideshow of images came with the caption, “Good to be back.” After so much time stuck on the sidelines in his debut season in a white shirt, Alexander-Arnold was undoubtedly buzzing after finally returning to the pitch and playing alongside his new teammates.
On a deeper level, though, the message alludes to one thought potentially creeping in Barcelona’s heads—Real Madrid just might be back as well now that they have a player of Alexander-Arnold’s caliber on the pitch.
Why Trent Alexander-Arnold Elevates Real Madrid to La Liga Contenders
Let’s skip past the obvious—Alexander-Arnold is a fantastic player who would thrive with just about any club’s badge on his chest. For all his defensive shortcomings, his vision and playmaking are in a class of their own.
But his presence at Real Madrid is more nuanced than just his excellence, something he would bring to any other team. The Spanish giants have lacked a true game-changer on the right flank for a season and a half, hampered by injuries that forced natural midfielder Federico Valverde to fill in at right back, or more recently Real Madrid Castilla product David Jiménez.
Even before Dani Carvajal suffered a devastating ACL injury in 2024–25, he was never a creative outlet flying up and down the right flank, like Marcelo had been on the left for so many years. Instead the Spaniard was a defensive stalwart, who played his role to perfection and helped the club lift six Champions League titles.
Except it’s a new era at the Bernabéu, one that no longer has the likes of Marcelo or Toni Kroos or Cristiano Ronaldo to create magical moments across the pitch. Real Madrid have so often lacked creativity this season, and Carvajal’s return to full match fitness isn’t going to do much to ease those woes.
Alexander-Arnold, though, can deliver sensational long balls to kickstart attacks or pinpoint diagonal passes to switch the field of play. He can whip in a cross to find a streaking forward or break free on the counter attack, stretching the field to create gaps for Vinicius Junior or Kylian Mbappé to exploit.
The Englishman’s addition to the XI is the solution Los Blancos have been searching for all season, one that elevates their status to a team worthy of stealing the Spanish crown from Barcelona.
Álvaro Arbeloa Praises Alexander-Arnold’s Greatness
Real Madrid boss Álvaro Arbeloa was not shy about heaping praise on Alexander-Arnold in his postgame press conference. Unlike Xabi Alonso, who seemingly preferred Carvajal over the blockbuster summer signing, the 43-year-old backs the former Liverpool star.
“He understands the game very well and quickly grasps what we want from him and where we can make the most of his abilities,” Arbeloa said. “He is not the typical fullback who will always stay wide; he can play a lot inside in our system, where we want them to move and interchange positions. It’s a privilege to have a player like him, who can play inside and also move wide.
“He is a great player. I am not discovering anything new. Very happy to have him with me, to see him continue to gain minutes, get into rhythm and gradually show his best version.”
Alexander-Arnold is expected to be back in action on Tuesday, when Real Madrid travel to Lisbon to take on Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League knockout phase playoffs. The England international will hope to help his team avenge their league phase defeat, when he could do nothing but watch from the sidelines.
