Real Madrid are 'lucky' to have Trent Alexander-Arnold claims manager Alvaro Arbeloa after ex-Liverpool star grabs comeback assist

Alexander-Arnold made just his sixth league start of the season in Saturday's 4-1 win over Real Sociedad as Los Blancos moved to the top of the table in Spain having earned an eighth successive league victory. And the 27-year-old managed his second league assist of the campaign as he turned provider for Gonzalo Garcia in the fifth minute of the resounding home success.

The right-back has endured a stop-start season with Real Madrid and a lack of game time and consistency has seen Alexander-Arnold linked with a move back to the Premier League. Indeed, Manchester City have been credited with an interest in Alexander-Arnold as the Cityzens gear up to overhaul their defence in the summer with a new right-back the priority for Pep Guardiola's side.

Having shone on his first league start of the year, Arbeloa heaped praise upon the former Liverpool man, insisting that the Spanish giants are 'lucky' to be able to call upon Alexander-Arnold.

Speaking after Saturday's win over Real Sociedad, Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV: "We're not going to discover anything new about Trent. "It was a nice surprise to see how he understands the game, how he sees the spaces. Those things are very important for a coach, having players who understand what we want."

"Not just the passing to get the team running, but everything we want from him."

Alexander-Arnold was picked ahead of Dani Carvajal, who also returned to fitness at the same time as his teammate, which saw Federico Valverde pushed back into midfield. The Spanish full-back then replaced Trent for the final half hour on home turf, with Arbeloa complimentary of the creative full-back, adding: "Working with [Alexander-Arnold], he strikes me as a very intelligent guy, who understands the game very well, and quickly grasps what we want from him.

"He's not the typical full-back who's always going to be out wide, he can also play centrally. We want players to be able to interchange positions. We're lucky to have a player like that."

The Los Blancos boss also praised Vinicius Junior, who bagged a brace against Real Sociedad after missing the 2-0 win over Valencia due to a ban, saying: "I've been seeing a great Vinicius for a month now, not just in this match. He's been playing at a very high level, being a game-changer. For me, he's a player who goes beyond the numbers, capable of influencing matches."

Kylian Mbappe was an unused sub for the win over Real Sociedad, just six days after playing the full 90 in the victory over Valencia, a match in which the forward scored his 23rd league goal of the season.

Arbeloa, though, was quick to play down any concerns surrounding the Frenchman, who is expected to start against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

"Mbappe has been dealing with [left knee] discomfort for quite some time," Arbeloa said. "He's putting in a great effort every time he goes on the pitch. Today we decided not to take any risks with Tuesday in mind."

Real Madrid face Benfica in the Champions League playoffs as both sides seek to secure a spot in the last-16 of the competition. The winner of their tie will play either Sporting CP or Manchester City next month.

The first leg takes place at the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday night as Real Madrid return to Lisbon for the first time since Anatoliy Trubin's memorable 98th-minute header last month. The goalkeeper's late goal saw Benfica finish the league phase of the Champions League in the playoff places at Marseille's expense, while it meant Real Madrid dropped out of the top eight at the death.