Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa said the club is lucky to have the services of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Liverpool defender provided an assist in the team’s 4-1 win against Real Sociedad on Saturday.

Arnold assisted Gonzalo Garcia, who grabbed his chance, in the fifth minute of the game to put the home team in front. With this win, Real Madrid climbed to the top of the La Liga standings, but the second-placed Barcelona, who are two points away, have a game in hand.

The England International has struggled with injury woes in Spain, which has limited his team on the pitch.

“We’re not going to discover anything new about Trent,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV. “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.”

Arbeloa said Arnold is an intelligent player, who understands the game really well.

“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,” Arbeloa added in his post-match news conference.

“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 Spaniard also showered praise on Vinicius Jr., who scored a brace from a spot-kick.

“I’ve been seeing a great Vinícius for a month now, not just in this match,” Arbeloa said. “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.”

Real Madrid will next take on Benfica in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.