Trent Alexander-Arnold’s reintroduction to the England squad after almost 2 years in the Nations League to beat the Czech Republic 2-0 has sparked conversations about his performance.
England beat Czechia 2-0 in a slow-start Nations League Group A3 match in Prague after losing to Spain 2-3 on 27th September. Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane scored for the Three Lions in the 47th and 69th minutes, respectively.
But what caught everyone’s attention was the performance of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Trent retrieved a loose ball on the right and curled a fine cross with his right foot around the Czechia defence, leading to Gordon’s header and netting the first goal against Czechia. His spectacular assist in the 47th minute became the talk of the match.
Football fans all over the internet have been praising the 27-year-old defender. In fact, fans are surprised at how coaches of England and his club Real Madrid are not making full use of his talent.
Arnold has not been favoured by Thomas Tuchel and was dropped from England’s World Cup squad. The last time he started was in October 2024 in the Nations League against Finland, and his last appearance for the national team was in June 2025, in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra.
Fans have reacted that the neglect of Arnold by any team, whether England or Real Madrid, is borderline baffling. The Real Madrid defender has shown exactly what Tuchel and Mourinho are sleeping on. Comments are flooding in, calling him a magnificent and world-class player.
They are also pointing out that a player like Trent was exactly what England was missing out on in the World Cup. The England team was seen failing to keep possession or push forward in their match against Congo DR and in the semi-final match, and that is where the former Liverpool star might have come in handy.
On the other hand, Mourinho’s decision to keep Arnold as a substitute most of the time at Real Madrid, with constant benching, was called out by fans following the England match. He has been splitting time with his teammate Denzel Dumfries.
He has started three matches this season against Málaga CF and Elche CF in La Liga, and against Inter Milan in the Champions League. He was able to secure 1 assist against Málaga CF.
Fans have been comparing his performance to Dumfries, saying, “Trent Alexander-Arnold is simply better than Denzel Dumfries”. Dumfries has not been able to deliver a solid performance for Madrid this season so far.
Madridistas are anxious about the fact that Mourinho is not putting Trent in the starting XI. At his previous club, Liverpool, a lot of the glory came through Trent Alexander-Arnold, and fans are hoping the sooner Jose Mourinho realises that, the better it is for Real Madrid.
There are also memes circulating glorifying the astonishing pass of Trent, some jokingly saying “ prime Trent Alexander can even locate Saddam Hussein with a pass”, while others say “ Anthony Gordon has not yet secured a goal for Barça because Trent was not there”.
In the post-match interview, Alexander Arnold expressed his happiness to start for the team and how he coordinated with Gordon.
“ It was amazing, always an honour and pleasure to represent my country. It’s been a long time, but I’ve always believed that I can play for England, and I always want to.
The belief is always there, it’s about proving it at club level. The manager gave me the chance tonight to play and to try to follow what he asked of me to the best of my ability.”
Gordon praised Trent a lot after the match in his interview to ITV, he expressed his delight to play with him and the reasons too.
“I make that run time and time again, and only a certain number of players have that ability, technique and bravery to be willing to make the mistake of trying that pass”
Meanwhile, coach Tuchel said he never underestimated Trent in assists and praised him for securing the ball, calling it an overall good performance.
“ We need to keep focused, and Trent was a big help in this, because he’s very secure on the ball and can be decisive with his crosses. He did this solid defending and one decisive action that helped us score, so a good performance overall.”
But after the match against Spain on Saturday, Tuchel expressed his doubts over Trent’s defence. When he was asked why he did not use Arnold from the bench, he said that Jarell Quansah had a better defence than Trent, and Arnold has to fight for his shirt; it will not be given to him.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s position in the England team is uncertain as to whether he will start the next game against Croatia on 3rd October. Fans are hoping that the team will give him more chances to prove his place. But for now, Alexander Arnold has delivered exactly what he was expected to do as a player in the England team.
