Kylian Mbappé has recently resembled the player who disappointed everyone in his final season at Paris Saint-Germain. The image of the French star aggressively raising his foot to foul Antonio Blanco has gone viral. This outburst could prove costly for both Real Madrid and Mbappé himself.

In France, he had left such behavior behind and rebuilt his image as a composed player on the pitch. However, he has fallen back into old habits, leaving the field in disbelief. After initially misleading the referee and receiving only a yellow card, it seemed he might escape punishment, but VAR intervened correctly, upgrading the yellow to red.

Mbappé arrived at Real Madrid as a savior. With Jude Bellingham’s exceptional performances, expectations were high for the Frenchman to lead Real to glory. A heroic aura was built around him, but he has yet to fully step into the role of a leader.

The match against Alavés was one that could have gone either way for Real, especially with a tight clash against Arsenal looming. A tough and determined team like Alavés could have caused problems, but Mbappé cracked under pressure and resorted to a reckless foul.

On Wednesday at the Bernabéu, Arsenal awaits—another test of that legendary comeback spirit. Mbappé’s foul isn’t just a simple mistake; it’s a reflection of the immense pressure weighing on Real Madrid and its players, teetering on the edge.

If Real fails to bounce back, the PSG version of Mbappé will resurface—the version that shows he isn’t always the unparalleled star everyone believes him to be in decisive moments.