The aftermath in Spain and elsewhere was predictable long before the final whistle at the Santiago Bernabeu. President Florentino Perez was criticized for disrupting an effective, emerging Real Madrid team by signing a new superstar. Arsenal, a disciplined side reminiscent in some ways of a potential champion, thoroughly outplayed an opponent that brought to mind the excesses of the mid-2000s “Galactico” era, where focus was on star signings over team structure.
However, the idea of signing star players hasn`t failed; the issue this season isn`t the signing of Kylian Mbappe, but rather the failure to adequately replace Toni Kroos.
Certainly, Federico Valverde has taken on the number 8 shirt and performed admirably this season. Even in defeat, the Uruguayan was one of the few Madrid players whose performance didn`t falter significantly. Valverde did everything asked of him and more, including covering at right-back in the first leg and being the main player to progress the ball forward in the return game. He had the most touches, attempted the most passes, and made the most forward progress for Madrid. But this role doesn`t perfectly align with his natural skill set.
What Madrid clearly lacked in the match was a pure passer, someone who could survey Arsenal`s defensive setup and identify the minimal weaknesses that could be exploited with a single, precise ball. Think back to Kroos`s performance in the semi-final last season against Bayern Munich, where his numerous progressive passes stretched the opponent and quickly moved Madrid into attacking positions.
In contrast, Madrid`s build-up against Arsenal was slow and cumbersome. Luka Modric, in previous years, could have found those gaps, and he remains capable, but the physical demands of the tie exposed the limitations of a player approaching 40. Without a player dictating tempo from deep, the only clear strategy to advance the ball was to slowly work it towards the star attackers. Possession predictably went to the left flank, where Vinicius Junior was effectively contained, while the right flank was hardly more productive. Madrid`s pass distribution showed a lack of connection in central areas between Arsenal`s lines, where attacks are most effective. While credit is due to Declan Rice and Thomas Partey for patrolling these areas, the best Madrid attacks can thread passes through the tightest spaces.
Madrid needed a player who could influence teammates` movement simply through their passing ability, whose command of the ball is such that players instinctively make runs knowing the pass will find them. A gifted passer of the game. Someone like Trent Alexander-Arnold.
At the very least, having Alexander-Arnold in the team might have made their high volume of crosses from open play (the most in a game since November 2018) more purposeful, rather than hopeful deliveries for defenders William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior to easily clear. More significantly, a consistent Alexander-Arnold would help reduce Madrid`s over-reliance on crosses and speculative long shots. Having a genuine progressive passer deep in the team would provide the quick ball that Vinicius and Mbappe thrive on, allowing the team to attack Arsenal before their midfield screen could fully recover its shape.
If, as seems likely, Alexander-Arnold were to arrive, he wouldn`t solve every issue and might even create new ones for Madrid. His defensive weaknesses are often exaggerated – and are certainly a trade-off worth making given his attacking prowess – but currently, Madrid don`t have a centre-back of Ibrahima Konate`s quality to cover for him on the flank. Adjustments to the team`s balance would be necessary to integrate Alexander-Arnold, and while the benefits are considerable, they may take time to fully materialize.
Ultimately, the defeat to Arsenal underscored the value of an organized and disciplined team structure, similar to what Madrid possessed last season. Returning to that disciplined approach is essential for reaching the European summit again. However, this doesn`t mean the team shouldn`t address its deficiencies. And Alexander-Arnold appears to be an ideal solution for one of their most significant problems.
