Jude Bellingham is a different footballer. He resembles the player who arrived at Real Madrid and little of what was seen with Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa. It has to do with his physical condition, fully recovered from his shoulder injury, but also his context. The Englishman has two goals and two assists in the first three La Liga matches and leads, in body, soul, and football, Jose Mourinho's team.
He does it from the attacking midfield, with "more freedom". It is evident in the stands and on television, and he confirms it himself in statements he also made during the World Cup, where he scored goals as a second striker behind Harry Kane. Now he roams a few meters behind Mbappé and enjoys it all. The goals, the assists, and the battle in the midfield. He bites and scolds his teammates, even when the match is decided. "I really like a player like that," admitted Mourinho.
With the match already over, Bellingham ran from one area to another to deflect a last-minute shot from Chupe. He turned around when he got up and shouted at his teammates for a few seconds, punching the ground, also raising applause from the Bernabéu. "Without a doubt," said Mourinho when asked if he was betting on a new leader in the dressing room. "He is very demanding of himself and his teammates," he pointed out before making a very direct hint at Arbeloa, a supposed disciple of the Portuguese coach. "I have agreed with Jude that in my view of football, I don't want to see him defending as a second left-back," something he had done many times. In the match we won against Madrid with Benfica in the Champions League, we exploited that circumstance a lot," he recalled, referring to the January match at Da Luz. "Now he feels comfortable."
A few meters away, Bellingham himself acknowledged his newfound freedom. "Now I feel more free. I play with more freedom to move around, to go up and down depending on what we need," he commented, emphasizing that "I am having a lot of fun. I am really enjoying my football, and that's why I am performing well."
The match saw Mbappé's fourth goal in La Liga, Bellingham's second, an own goal, and a game decided within the first half-hour. Otherwise, the second half was a desert after the 65th minute. "The first half was a great game, but the last 20 minutes were very bad. I don't know why, but they were not good," admitted Bellingham.
"We have a very strong squad. A great team with quality in all areas. And when the coach wants to make changes, those who didn't play the other day are smart, and that's why they play so well today," he added. Despite the poor second half, Mourinho only made three changes and left players like Espí, the team's savior in Cornellá, on the bench. "It was a great game for many, also for one who is not very loved... Camavinga," recalled the Portuguese coach, who reiterated the need for substitutes to accept whatever situations arise. "I can't compare with last year because I haven't followed the whole process. The problem will come, defeat I think will come, your criticisms, less good phases, injuries... That will come. We have to be very balanced then," he concluded.