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Another great weekend of English Premier League football is behind us. Liverpool joined current leaders Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the table after a statement victory over high-flying Leicester City on Sunday night.
Though it's still very early days in the season, Spurs have established their title-winning credentials and Jose Mourinho's boys played to the perfect plan to neutralize Manchester City in a classic 2-0 win.
World-class fullbacks are integral to every top-tier team in modern football, with them carrying both attacking and defensive responsibilities. It is no surprise that most teams doing well in the Premier League right now have classy fullbacks and have a wealth of talent at the right-back slot.
Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool has almost redefined the position through his creative abilities, while others fullbacks like Serge Aurier have rediscovered their defensive prowess under a new manager at Spurs.
We look at the five best right-backs in the Premier League right now in ascending order.
#5 Tariq Lamptey
The 20-year-old is a future full England international, who is already playing with the big boys in the English Premier League. Tariq Lamptey has more than a 75% success rate in tackles but adds more value going forward. His pace and delivery often makes him a de-facto right wing-back.
With three assists and a goal to his name already, the former Chelsea player could be the breakthrough player of the season.
#4 Matty Cash
Matty Cash has made all the right moves on the pitch after joining Aston Villa from Nottingham Forest. He showed his class by subduing a striker of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's caliber against Arsenal, in a game which Villa won 3-0.
He has an almost 77% success rate when it comes to tackling. Cash, at 23, has been crucial to Villa's plans this season and the right-back and is on his way to a long Premier League career.
#3 Recce James
England international right-back Reece James has so impressive in recent games, that he has actually kept Cesar Azpilicueta out of the Chelsea first team. The Blues have also been brilliant in recent games, and James was at his best during a 2-0 blanking of Newcastle this weekend.
James has the pace and skills to be one of the best in his position. With one goal and an assist to his name in the league this season, he has already shown that he is adept at both ends of the pitch.
#2 Timothy Castagne
Leicester City looked abject against Liverpool in a 3-0 defeat and were often left exposed down the right channel by Sadio Mane and Andrew Robertson. It was a telling frailty because they were missing one of their stars through injury at Anfield, Belgian right-back Timothy Castagne.
Castagne joined Leicester after a spell at Atalanta and has made an immediate impact for the Foxes in the Premier League. Brendan Rodger's system relies heavily on lightning-quick counters, through which strikers like Jamie Vardy can thrive. Fullbacks are essential to such a system and Castagne, with one goal and two assists, fits in perfectly.
#1 Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool owes a lot to their fullbacks for their recent successes. Like Andy Robertson on the other flank, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a revelation down the right for the Reds in the last two seasons. He played a significant role in the club as they became European and English champions.
Alexander-Arnold's whipping crosses and pinpoint delivery is up there with the best wingers in the game and his pace down the wing adds more value to his game.
In many ways, he is one of Liverpool's primary creative outlets and his set-piece ability is another advantage. Alexander-Arnold is also more than capable of tracking back when required, but it is his attacking prowess that makes him stand out.
Even though James Milner did an excellent job at right-back against Leicester, Liverpool missed that X-factor that Alexander-Arnold brings to the team. They will also be hoping he is back in their lineup sooner rather than later.
