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"Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles."
Sir Alex Ferguson said this and we totally agree with him. For instance, have a look at Liverpool and Manchester City. Both the teams have scored goals in a large chunk but at the same time conceded the least amount of goals. Out of 38 games, Alisson and Ederson kept clean sheets in 21 and 20 games respectively. The strong defence, with the aid of Virgil Van Dijk, helped Liverpool to win their 6th European title by defeating Tottenham Hotspur.
There was a period in the second half of the season when City was struggling to score goals but was taking three points by winning games with a scoreline 1-0. Grabbing those three points helped them to defend their league title by one point.
A striker gets applauded for every goal he nets, but a centre-back is left unappreciated for every tackle he makes. Harsh reality. But today, we bring you a list of the top five centre-backs who have been on another level. These five defenders have been rock solid for their team and deserve to get a special mention.
#5 Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City):
Laporte has been the first choice centre-back for Pep Guardiola last season, and with the departure of legendary Vincent Kompany, his importance will only going to be increased in the upcoming season.
He is a typical Pep Guardiola defender - comfortable in ball possession, intelligent with ball distribution, and having the skills to win the aerial battle in the opposition's box. The French international was ever-present for the Blues in the Premier League, starting 34 games out of possible 38. His pass success percentage stands at 92.3% and he has also contributed on the other side of the pitch by scoring three goals and registering three assists in the domestic campaign.
The only thing which he has to develop further in his third season at City is to become the leader of the backline.
#2 Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
This man needs no introduction. The veteran centre-back has been a long-term servant for FC Barcelona and is set to continue the role of a leader in the next season as well. Even if they are able to sign de Ligt, Pique will be their first man. He is not as quick as other modern centre-backs, but he has a great sense of positioning and is also a brilliant reader of the game.
Just like Laporte, Pique was a stalwart for his side, starting 35 games in La Liga, making 1.2 tackles and 1 interception per game respectively. He was dribbled past only 0.4 times per match and had an average of four clearances per game in La Liga.
#3 Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)
Koulibaly proved this season that the heights he achieved in the year 2017-18 were not temporary. Undoubtedly, he was the best player in his position in Seria A in the 2018-19 campaign. He is an expert at wrestling the ball away from the opposition.
Koulibaly is also an excellent passer of the ball but still needs to improve his discipline. He earned 10 yellow cards and also a red card in 35 league games. He was dribbled past only 0.5 times per game and made 1.7 tackles per game in Seria A. In terms of ball distribution, his success percentage stands at 88.7% in Seria A.
He is widely assumed for a move away from San Paolo Stadium but Aurelio De Laurentiis is understood to be reluctant in selling his prime defender this summer.
#2 Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax)
You don't often see a 19-year-old kid this high on the list, but this has been a sumptuous season for the young Ajax skipper. de Ligt was not only a commanding figure for his fellow defenders, but also for his whole team. His leadership and masterful defending aided his side to win the league title as well as KNVB Beker Cup.
In 33 Eredivisie games, he scored three goals and assisted once. He made 1.5 tackles per game and 1.4 interceptions per game in Champions League where they were knocked out by Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final. de Ligt is considered to be one of the most debated players when we talk about the transfer window this summer as many big clubs sniff for his signature.
#1 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Easy choice. Virgil Van Dijk has been on another level since his move to Liverpool from Southampton. He has transformed the feeble and fragile defence of Liverpool into one of the strongest across Europe. Even though credits should be equally distributed among Alisson, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold but Van Dijk is the glue which helps them all to stick and perform as one unit.
No player has been successful in dribbling past the defender throughout the entrire Premier League campaign. He is not only an asset defensively, but also a big threat in the opposition's box as he scored nine goals and assisted four times in the 60 games he played all season. The Dutch skipper is a figure of calmness for both his club and country. He is also a vocal leader who brings out the best from the players around him.
