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The goalscorers and the fancy wingers might take all the limelight in a football team, but an outstanding centre-back is worth his weight in gold. The attacking evolution of the modern game means that teams now play a lot more open, ambitious football, which makes the role of a defender that much harder.
Gone are the days when the central defenders were only meant to stop the opposition attacks. Instead, they are now the initiators of attack and are supposed to join the attacking players in their quest for a goal. They are expected to find the net from set pieces, they are expected to be good at passing, but they are also required to be rock solid at the back.
Understandably, the role of the centre-back has broadened in the recent years, but the defenders have evolved with the game too. As such, there are some fantastic central defenders around right now who are indispensable to their teams. Today, we take a look at the top 10 among them this season.
#10 Michael Keane (England, Everton)
The English defender had a pretty good year and was stellar for his team throughout the season. It has been 4 years since he had left United, but in these years, Keane has developed into a fine young footballer and certainly better than quite a few defenders that United currently have in their ranks.
Keane started 33 games for Everton this season in the Premier League, as he endured a serious injury at the end of August. The Englishman was out for almost a month due to a fractured skull, a period where he missed 2 games in the league. However, Keane did not let that injury affect his game and grew in stature with each passing game.
The Englishman has 1.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 5.5 clearances per game in the Premier League. He has even managed one goal and 2 assists in the league for Everton and is a goal threat from set pieces. Keane has a tackle success rate of 61% in the league and has just 2 yellow cards so far. He also has 1 goal and 2 assists to his name.
Keane likes to initiate attacks from the deep; he has registered 97 accurate long balls and has also created 3 big chances this season. He has averaged around 46 passes per game so far.
#9 Craig Cathcart (Northern Ireland, Watford)
The Northern Irishman has shined for Watford this season, even though his club finished 11th in the table.
Cathcart has 36 appearances in the Premier League this season and has even picked up 3 goals. He is a methodical defender who does not dive into tackles at the slightest provocation, instead, he likes to use his positioning to get the better of his opponents.
Nevertheless, he has averaged 1.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game in the League, but averages just 0.4 fouls per game. Cathcart has a tackle success rate of 62% in the Premier League and has averaged 5 clearances per game.
Unfortunately for the Northern Irishman, he also has 2 own goals to his name and has committed 1 error which has led to a goal. However, Cathcart has still been a very handy defender this season. And his discipline has also been impressive as the Northern Irishman picked up just 2 yellow cards in the league.
#8 Jan Vertonghen (Belgium, Tottenham Hotspurs)
The Belgian defender has largely been overshadowed by his club and countryman Alderweireld in recent times, but this season, Vertonghen has clearly been the pick of the two. The central defender is extremely versatile and has also carried out a role in the midfield left on a couple of occasions this season.
Vertonghen is a ball playing centre-back who is technically gifted. He likes playing the ball out from the back and can spot a pass quite well; in the Premier League, he has averaged almost 70 passes per game. The Belgian regularly joins the build-up play and tried to find his forward players in the final third of the pitch. Vertonghen is also a great tackler and is extremely composed at the back.
The 32-year-old has ages of experience on his side and has been crucial to the Spurs team for quite some team now. This season, Vertonghen has averaged 1.8 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the Premier League, but has given away just 0.5 fouls per game!
He has a tackle success rate of 76% in the Premier League. The Belgian missed a chunk of the season due to a hamstring injury and has managed 22 appearances in the league. He has one goal to his name this season in the league, but has picked up 3 yellow and 1 red card so far.
#7 Willy Boly (France, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
The Frenchman is a defender who is comfortable on the ball and likes to drive forward regularly. Boly is quite adept at dribbling and can often be found joining his forward players during counter attacks. He also has the ability to run forward with the ball and likes to take a shot at goal too. Having said that, the Frenchman is a proper defender as well and loves tackling and breaking down the opposition play.
This season, Boly has averaged 2.4 tackles and 2 interceptions per game in the Premier League. He does have a tendency to give away fouls; he has committed 0.8 fouls per game in the league. Boly moved to Wolves permanently from FC Porto at the start of this season and became a regular feature in the team that has reached the final of the FA Cup. The Frenchman’s presence in defense has been crucial for his team; Boly has a tackle success rate of 61% and has averaged approximately 48 passes per game in the league this season.
Besides being a defensive rock, the Frenchman has also contributed for his team in the attacking third. Boly has scored 4 goals in the league from 36 games and has been a constant threat from set pieces. He has picked up 2 yellow cards and 1 red card this season.
#6 Fabian Schär (Switzerland, Newcastle United)
Fabian Schar made the unexpected move from Deportivo La Coruna to Newcastle in the summer of 2018. He took some time to break into the team, making just one appearance in the first 10 games in the Premier League.
However, he gave a fantastic account of himself against Watford in a hard fought 1-0 win at home in November. It was clear that Rafael Benitez had done his homework, and Schar soon became a force in the defense.
The Switzerland International is very strong in his tackling and his ball interceptions and has a tackle success rate of 65% in the league. He has averaged 2.5 tackles and 2.8 interceptions per game in the Premier League but has also given away 1.3 fouls per game.
Schar has made 24 appearances for Newcastle this season, has scored 4 goals and even has an assist to his name! However, he has a tendency to pick up yellow cards. The 27-year-old has picked up 12 yellow cards in the league this season and has missed 3 games due to yellow card suspension. It is a feature of his game that he should look to improve on next season.
#5 Antonio Rüdiger (Germany, Chelsea)
The 26-year-old might not be the best tackler in the world, but he makes up for it by his clever positioning. This enables him to attend to the opposition threat without having to tackle. However, Rudiger is not averse to the dirty work if situation demands, and has a tackles success rate of 57%. He has averaged 1 tackle, 0.5 interceptions and 1 foul per game in the league this season, which pretty much tells the story.
But the German can pick a pass with ease and is quite comfortable with the ball at his feet. This makes him highly effective in Sarri’s system. Rudiger has appeared 33 times for Chelsea this season, forming a good understanding with David Luiz in the heart of the defense. He is currently recuperating from a knee surgery, which has seen him miss the last 2 games of the season.
Rudiger’s biggest asset on the field is his passing, he has averaged almost 77 passes per game in the league this season and has 149 accurate long balls to his name. The German defender likes to play the ball out of the back and likes to shoot at goal. He has scored 1 goal in the league this season too.
#4 Conor Coady (England, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Wolverhampton Wanderers are the only club to have two players in this list. Conor Coady has been rock solid at the back along with Willy Boly, but the Englishman has been the pick of the two on the field.
The 26-year-old has a tendency to play long balls from the deep and is quite good at it too. Coady has 244 accurate long balls to his name this season, which clearly shows how comfortable he is at running the play from deep. He has a composed head on his shoulders and rarely dives into reckless tackles. However, if needed, the Englishman has a decent tackle success rate of 61%.
Coady's passing is also quite good. He has averaged 44 passes per game in the Premier League and likes to attempt through balls to set his teammates up. He has registered 3 successful through balls in the league.
The Englishman provides the composure at the heart of the Wolves defense and compliments the vibrant Boly well. Coady has been one of the best defenders in the league this season and is 4th in our list.
#3 Victor Lindelof (Sweden, Manchester United)
The Ice Man had a debut season to forget and many wondered if he would slip into oblivion this year. Contrary to the expectations, Lindelof has been the lone shining light in the United defense this season and his emergence has been one of the few positives that Solskjaer can take into the next season.
The Swede was heavily involved at the start of the season but soon fell out of Mourinho's plans at the end of the Portuguese's tenure, even though he did start the disastrous defeat at the hands of Liverpool.
When Solskjaer took over as caretaker manager, Lindelof enjoyed greater support. His performances showed that he was a class above the defenders at United’s disposal. He was crucial as United went 12 games unbeaten in the league; the Swedish defender started in 11 of those games, scored 1 and even picked up an assist!
Lindelof is a ball playing defender who has fantastic vision for a pass; he has averaged 50 passes per game in the premier league. He rarely goes into rash tackles and has a decent tackle success rate of 68%. His positioning has been outstanding and he has been very effective with the ball from the deep.
He has registered 64 accurate long balls, 1 through ball and has also created 4 big chances. If United can procure a strong partner for him in the summer, most of their problems would be solved because Lindelof has been the third best defender in the league this season.
#2 Aymeric Laporte (France, Manchester City)
Despite the fact that Pep Guardiola had Otamendi, Stones and Skipper Kompany in the team, it was clear that Laporte was his main man. The Frenchman had 35 appearances in the Premier League this season, 34 of which were starts. Only a muscle injury prevented him from being involved in all of City's games this season.
Laporte is a ball playing centerback, who is a very good reader of the ball. As such, the Frenchman is rarely caught out of position and does not dive into tackles at every opportunity. Laporte has averaged 1.2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game and has been brilliant at the back for his team. However, he has been most effective with the ball at his feet, where he has been the perfect Guardiola defender.
The Frenchman has averaged almost 86 passes per game in the premier league and has 92.3% pass completion rate. He likes moving the ball to his forward players from the deep; he has registered 173 accurate long balls in the league this season. Perhaps the only improvement opportunity in his game is his tackling, as he has a tackle success rate of only 48%.
Aymeric Laporte has been exceptional for City as they defended the Premier League and is the second best defender in the league this season.
#1 Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool)
When Jurgen Klopp broke the bank for the Dutchman in January last year, everyone questioned his decision. Cut to a year and a half and van Dijk is perhaps the nearest competitor to Lionel Messi for the Ballon d'Or this year! The Dutchman has been phenomenal for Liverpool and the German coach has been ably rewarded for his farsightedness.
van Dijk is a calm and composed presence in the defense that is the epitome of every champion team. He provides the solidity at the back that allows Liverpool to attack at will and play Klopp's "heavy metal" football. The Dutchman is outstanding in the air and is also an exceptional passer of the ball. He has averaged around 80 passes per game in the league and has 203 accurate long balls to his name. His tackling has also been perfect; van Dijk does not always dive into tackles, but when he does, he has a brilliant tackle success rate of 74%!
The Dutchman is a constant threat from set-pieces too and has been an ever-present feature in the Liverpool defense this season, starting in all 38 games, scoring 4 goals and registering 2 assists. He was the main reason why Liverpool lost just 1 game in the entire season and is, without doubt, the best defender in the Premier League this season.
