Trent’s costly mistake

The England international, making just his eighth start in the Spanish top flight since his high-profile summer switch from Anfield, was the primary culprit for Celta’s equaliser. After Aurelien Tchouameni had given Arbeloa’s side the lead, Alexander-Arnold failed to deal with a long ball, allowing Willot Swedberg to skip past him and set up Borja Iglesias for a simple tap-in.

Spanish press deliver scathing verdict

The fallout from the error was immediate, with prominent Spanish newspaper Marca leading the charge in a scathing assessment of the right-back’s performance. They were particularly pointed in their criticism, suggesting that the 27-year-old looked completely out of his depth during the crucial defensive phase that led to the Celta goal.

“A long ball over the top of Trent was all it took for Williot to expose the least defensively minded full-back in LaLiga,” the outlet wrote in a match report.

In a biting analysis, Marca wrote: “Don’t be shocked by Alexander-Arnold. He’s always been like this. Klopp said it himself right after leaving Liverpool: “I just failed to teach him how to defend.” Anyone who regularly watches Liverpool knows that Trent isn’t exactly a defensive hound; his strength lies in pushing forward and distributing the ball with his exquisite passing. But defending? Forget it, as was proven once again with Celta’s first goal. The only question is whether he doesn’t know how or simply doesn’t want to.

“So if you’re a Real Madrid fan, don’t get angry with the English full back if you don’t like his defensive performances. If anything, be angry with whoever signed him.”

The duality of the Liverpool legend

The criticism underscores the long-standing debate regarding Alexander-Arnold’s defensive awareness versus his elite attacking output. While his crossing and vision remain world-class, the Spanish media appear less willing to tolerate the defensive fragility that occasionally plagued his time in the Premier League, especially with the title race so tight.

Marca stressed his importance to one of the goals, saying: “Trent started the attack with a long pass to Vinicius, who proved quicker than the Celta Vigo center backs. He hit the post, which was thrown off balance by Javi Rodriguez at the moment of the shot. There was a time when such actions were considered penalties because they prevented a goal. The spirit of the rule, and all that. Tchouameni then threatened from distance, forcing a good save from Radu, who also makes crucial saves. On the next occasion, he could do nothing about a well-executed corner. Trent took it short, Arda turned, crossed to the edge of the box, and Aurelien placed it inside the post. 0-1.”

Redemption through Valverde magic

Fortunately for the right-back, his mistakes did not cost Real Madrid two valuable points in the hunt for the trophy. A dramatic 94th-minute winner from Federico Valverde, following a goalmouth scramble partially initiated by an Alexander-Arnold cross, ensured that Los Blancos moved to within a single point of league leaders Barcelona at the top of the table.

The narrow victory keeps the pressure on Hansi Flick’s side, who face Athletic Club today, but it serves as a stark warning for Alexander-Arnold. While a win hides many flaws, the “bewildered” Englishman quickly learned that at Real Madrid, every stumble is dissected with surgical precision by a media hungry for perfection.