Trent Alexander-Arnold will be battling with Dani Carvajal for the right-back spot
Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to Real Madrid’s starting lineup after a challenging week, delivering an impressive performance in Saturday’s comeback victory against Mallorca.
The former Liverpool right-back had been relegated to the bench for the previous weekend’s match against Real Oviedo and subsequently omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad on Friday.
However, he played a key role in Saturday’s 2-1 triumph at the Bernabeu.
BBC Sport analyzes his performance, the reasons behind his recent benching, and the potential for future omissions.
‘Axed Alexander-Arnold faces fight for club & country’
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s touch map indicates a greater involvement in Mallorca’s half compared to his own.
Alexander-Arnold, mirroring his Liverpool days, began on the right side of the defense but operated in a non-traditional right-back role.
The 26-year-old frequently adopted a central, attacking position, effectively inverting his role at the Bernabeu.
With the score at 0-0, he executed a brilliant 50-yard pass from his own half to find Kylian Mbappe, who scored, though the goal was disallowed for offside.
Despite the offside ruling, Alexander-Arnold’s exceptional long-range pass to pick out his teammate should be acknowledged.
He later delivered another cross to Mbappe, but the forward was thwarted by the goalkeeper.
Alexander-Arnold also came close to scoring himself, with a shot from the edge of the box narrowly missing the target.
While not directly involved in either goal, Alexander-Arnold contributed to maintaining his team’s lead after their comeback from a 1-0 deficit.
Sergi Darder’s cutback from the byline found Mateo Joseph, who appeared to have an open goal, only for Alexander-Arnold to make a crucial sliding intervention inside the six-yard box.
His 72 touches were the most of any player on the pitch at the time of his substitution by Dani Carvajal with 18 minutes remaining.
He entered the final third nine times, second only to one other Madrid player, although he also lost possession 14 times.
Alexander-Arnold may experience some rotation in and out of the team early in the season.
Amidst the extensive coverage of his move from Liverpool, it’s easy to overlook Madrid’s established right-back.
That player is Dani Carvajal, a six-time Champions League winner, four-time La Liga champion, and Euro 2024 winner, who finished fourth in last season’s Ballon d’Or voting.
Carvajal, 33, has made a faster than anticipated recovery from a serious knee injury sustained last October.
After Alexander-Arnold started against Oviedo, he returned to the starting lineup this weekend.
Following the Oviedo game, manager Xabi Alonso explained his team selection: “It depends on what we need in terms of the game, the workload, and the opposition.”
Carvajal is a more conventional right-back, and he is likely to start games when Alonso prioritizes a stronger defensive presence.
“Trent has faced doubters before, and he’ll bounce back,” former Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock said on BBC Football Focus on Saturday.
“It won’t be an issue for him. He’ll use it as motivation to push forward and become an even better player.”
Similarly, regarding his England squad selection, Tuchel stated that he was “a big fan of Trent” but simply had other options, ultimately choosing Reece James and Tino Livramento.
Consistent playing time with Real Madrid could help him regain his place in the national team squad.
It’s important to remember that Alexander-Arnold is playing away from his boyhood club for the first time in his career.
Of his 354 appearances for Liverpool, he played alongside right winger Mohamed Salah in 319 (90%) of them.
This was only his eighth game for Madrid, including appearances at the FIFA Club World Cup in June and July.
“You look at the relationship he had with Salah on the right-hand side – they understood each other’s game,” said Warnock.
“The midfielders understand that when he stepped into midfield or drove down the right side, there was going to be a gap at right-back, so they have to fill that for him.
“The right centre-back will know he’s not defensively the greatest, so he might come over and help him out more.
“The Real Madrid players are still getting to know him and understand that.
“Once that comes together, and he gets more confidence and starts spraying those balls and assisting, then the perception of him starts to change.”
Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live on Thursday, said: “The Spanish media already have a narrative in place with Trent that he’s too shy, he doesn’t fit in, and Carvajal will surpass him.
“I hope he hears this because he’s the type of guy who loves a challenge. He’s got a big one.”
Alexander-Arnold doesn’t appear to have taken on as vocal a role in the team as his England teammate Jude Bellingham did upon joining two years ago.
This follows the Liverpudlian impressing his new club’s fans by speaking Spanish at his unveiling.
Warnock added: “I don’t get it. Why can’t you just be your own person? If you want to come out and speak to the press, then speak to the press. If you don’t, and you’re a quiet, reserved person and want your own time, why can’t you just respect that?
“However, that doesn’t take away from what he’s doing on the pitch and why he’s not been chosen by England. The Spanish press haven’t chosen that. The Real fans haven’t chosen that. That’s the England manager.”
And during Saturday’s game, Balague said: “Let’s see what the media says about today’s performance.
“I am sure he has heard the doubts, and how some people enjoyed that he has been criticised. And I am convinced Trent will play much more than people think.”
Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast