Trent Alexander-Arnold's start to life at Real Madrid: ‘Good weapon’ for Xabi Alonso despite ‘old, bad habits’
Published 26/06/2025 at 16:38 GMT+1
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been thrown straight into competitive football since his move to Real Madrid. Instead of easing into life at his new club during the pre-season, the England international has a chance to win his first major trophy with Los Blancos competing in this summer's Club World Cup. How has he performed so far? What is the perception of him in Spain? We explain everything here.
Alexander-Arnold's best Champions League passes
Video credit: TNT Sports
It is fair to say that Trent Alexander-Arnold made quite an impression during his unveiling at his new club.
Alexander-Arnold's first words as a Real Madrid player were spoken in fluent Spanish, which earned him a round of applause from club president Florentino Perez and those in attendance.
It was a stunning introduction to life in Spain, but it will be on the football pitch where he will be judged.
Rather than enjoy a pre-season to get up to speed with his new team-mates, Alexander-Arnold has been thrown into the deep end straight away as Real are competing in this summer's Club World Cup in the United States.
His debut with his new club got off to a bumpy start as Madrid slipped to an unexpected 1-1 draw in their opening game against Saudi outfit Al Hilal, before producing a fine 3-1 win over Mexico's Pachuca in the next game with 10 men.
How has Trent - as he wants to be called in Madrid - performed in his opening two matches? How are they judging his start in Spain? TNT Sports looks at the data with the help of Opta.
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Alexander-Arnold speaks FLUENT SPANISH in Madrid unveiling
Video credit: SNTV
It was only last month that Alexander-Arnold was dealing with the fallout of his decision to leave his boyhood club Liverpool after 20 years.
From receiving boos from a large section of supporters to being serenaded by the Kop during the much-awaited trophy lift at Anfield, it was a memorable goodbye for the boy who grew up on Merseyside.
It was time for him to bid farewell and start a new chapter at Real Madrid who had just watched their bitter rivals Barcelona clinch a domestic treble, while also suffering a quarter-final exit to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League.
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Alexander-Arnold would also be joining the club under new management, with former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso replacing legendary boss Carlo Ancelotti before the start of the Club World Cup.
"He is someone who probably impacted my game a lot growing up, seeing him pass a ball. I explained this to him as well," Alexander Arnold said about his new coach at his introductory press conference.
"Watching him pass a ball, seeing that influenced me to go and train harder at that and have a great hunger to be able to do that and to set standards.
"I am excited. I will be a sponge around him, trying to soak up all the information I can to learn from him."
'Trent 12' mode activated
Alonso handed Alexander-Arnold his debut in the opening match of the Club World Cup against Al Hilal and the fans got their first glimpse of "Trent 12" in the famous white shirt.
The England international played just over an hour as Madrid started the competition with a disappointing 1-1 draw.
Here is how he fared on his competitive debut for the club:
| Minutes played | 65 |
| Tackles | 0 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Total shots | 0 |
| Passes | 38 |
| Successful Passes | 34 |
| Chances created (including assists) | 1 |
| Duels | 5 |
| Duels Won | 1 |
Stats provided by Opta
Alexander-Arnold's heat map in his debut:
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Trent Alexander-Arnold's heat map against Al Hilal at the Club World Cup
Image credit: Opta
"An amazing day to make my debut for Real Madrid," Alexander-Arnold told Channel 5 after his debut. "Almost what every player dreams of.
"[There was] some disappointment to not have won the game. The mentality you need to have as a Real Madrid player is to expect to win every game you're playing, but a lot of positives, especially in the second half.
"[It was] incredible. I felt the support from the moment that I signed for the club, to be honest. Absolutely sensational."
The England international would not have to wait long for his next appearance as he was involved in Madrid's battling 3-1 win over Pachuca in the second group match. Here are his stats from that game:
| Minutes played | 78 |
| Tackles | 0 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Total shots | 0 |
| Passes | 39 |
| Successful Passes | 36 |
| Chances created (including assists) | 0 |
| Duels | 4 |
| Duels Won | 2 |
Stats provided by Opta
Heat Map:
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Trent Alexander-Arnold heat map v Pachuca
Image credit: Opta
The difference in confidence between both matches is clear from the heat maps.
In the second game, Alexander-Arnold appeared to be given more freedom and joined the Madrid attack on the right-hand side.
He played a key role in the build up to Madrid's second goal on the day, with goalscorer Arda Guler pointing to his new team-mate to acknowledge his role.
"He's been really good, I think the lads have taken to him really well because not only is he an amazing player, but he's a great guy as well," Real superstar Jude Bellingham told reporters after the game.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham celebrate a Real Madrid goal at the Club World Cup
Image credit: Getty Images
"Obviously, he's already speaking a bit of Spanish, so I think all the lads were impressed by that. It's been really nice.
"It's just about enjoying himself really. Obviously the pressure is gonna be insane but I told him he's here for a reason and that he'll do great things for the club and I think he already believed that, he's got that confidence so yeah, it's really nice to have him."
Early signs of concern?
Real Madrid supporters might be worried about one statistic which stood out in both games - the lack of duels won.
Alexander-Arnold won one of his five duels on his debut, but improved to a 50% win rate in his second match.
Given the quality of the opposition, is this a concerning sign when you consider he will face tougher opponents when the Liga and Champions League seasons get underway?
"Against Al Hilal, we saw some of Trent Alexander-Arnold's old, bad habits," explained Eurosport Spain football expert Ignacio Ortiz Escobar.
"His weakness in defending was very noticeable, and against Pachuca, especially in the first half, we saw some moments where he lacked decisiveness."
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‘He could do a bit more’ - Slot reveals frank conversation with Alexander-Arnold
Video credit: TNT Sports
Alexander-Arnold has frequently drawn criticism for his defensive abilities, but Madrid fans should be encouraged by how he managed to improve in that area under Liverpool head coach Arne Slot last season.
Escobar also believes that the Englishman's displays have gone under the radar because of the performances of new arrival Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth.
"The most praised signing has been Dean Huijsen, who has been highly praised by everyone," he said. "Trent has found himself settled in the middle, which I think will suit him in the long run."
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Al Hilal's Renan Lodi gets the best of Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold at the Club World Cup
Image credit: Getty Images
With Madrid looking to go through to the knockout stages as group winners, they will be desperate to get all three points against RB Salzburg on Thursday night.
Alexander-Arnold is likely to play his third match in a row and, as his confidence continues to grow, he could step out from the shadows to show why Los Blancos signed him this summer.
"In terms of performance, he's been OK," Escobar said.
"What's stood out most is his ability to get on the ball, and he's shown in these matches that he can be a good weapon for Real Madrid, something that they lacked last season."
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