Arbeloa of Madrid praises Mbappé and Vinícius as the ‘top players globally’
Coach Alvaro Arbeloa commended Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior as “the best players in the world” following their pivotal roles in Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday, which propelled the team to the top of the LaLiga standings.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 47th minute at La Cerámica, seizing a loose ball in the box after Vinícius’ threatening run and cross was deflected by Pape Gueye.
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The forward netted a second goal from the penalty spot in stoppage time, bringing his tally to 21 LaLiga goals this season. This outcome brought Madrid’s points total to 51, two ahead of Barcelona, who are scheduled to play on Sunday.
<p"They're the best players in the world, two extremely dangerous players," Arbeloa remarked to Movistar when discussing the impact of Mbappé and Vinicius.
“We aim to provide them with as many opportunities as possible. With Vini on the wing and Kylian exploiting space … We’re very pleased with their current form, particularly with their dedication. Their hard work and teamwork are being rewarded with goals.”
Both forwards have had a remarkable week, with Mbappé scoring twice against Monaco in the Champions League, while Vinicius contributed to three goals and scored another at the Bernabéu.
The Brazil international had faced challenges under Arbeloa’s predecessor Xabi Alonso, including a 16-match stretch without finding the net.
“What we’re witnessing, just like on Wednesday night, is an outstanding Vinícius,” Arbeloa stated in his post-match press conference on Saturday. “We need to maximize his potential and seek him out as often as we can to create one-on-one situations [with defenders]. It’s what I’ve always maintained; we are fortunate to have him.”
Madrid has now secured three consecutive victories under Arbeloa, following their elimination from the Copa del Rey by Albacete in his first match as coach, and Villarreal posed the toughest challenge thus far.
“We haven’t had many days to train,” Arbeloa noted. “However, gradually [the players] are grasping what we want, and with more time, it will become easier. They are elite players, and they understand our expectations.”
“We appeared focused and solid, but there is still room for improvement … I don’t believe this is their maximum potential.”
“We’re continually adapting better to the coach’s concepts,” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stated. “We’re all progressing, and with increased confidence, we will perform even better.”
