Sometimes the beautiful game isn’t so beautiful. As is the case with any art form, there needs to be some destruction in order to create something beautiful. Football is an art form, in a way, and although creative players and goalscorers grab the majority of the headlines, the defensive ones enable them to thrive.
No successful team in history that has been built solely with attacking players has conquered all before them.
We compare the five best defensive midfielders in the Premier League this season.
Since statistics don’t reveal the complete picture, this top 5 has been chosen based on their individual performances, their importance to their respective teams, their team’s position in the table and their individual statistics as well.
#5 Idrissa Gueye – Everton
Idrissa Gueye has been instrumental in Everton’s season under Ronald Koeman. The 27-year-old has been at the heart of all the defensive work in the Toffees and leads this group of players when it comes to tackles made per game.
The Senegalese midfielder averages an astonishing 4.4 tackles per game this season which is the best average in the Premier League in 2016/17. However, Everton are 7th in the table despite Gueye’s impressive performances. Out of 22 games, Gueye averages a respectable 2.3 interceptions, 1 clearance, while conceding 1.5 fouls per game.
He does, however, lead in the blocks-per-game department, making 0.32 blocks a game. Gueye gets dribbled past 1.6 times per game and is joint 3rd with Jordan Henderson in this list. It’s an area of his game which could improve.
Gueye’s performances have attracted considerable interest from big clubs in the Premier League and could leave Everton in the future.
#4 Ander Herrera – Manchester United
Ander Herrera has been a revelation at Manchester United this season under Jose Mourinho in his more defensive role as the ball winner in the middle of the park. Herrera is the standout leader of this list when it comes to interceptions per game – he averages 3 interceptions a game – which is the 2nd best in the Premier League.
This highlights how superior Herrera’s reading of the game is. Out of 22 appearances, the Spaniard averages 3 tackles, 1.9 clearances and 0.27 blocks a game. However, he concedes 1.7 fouls per game and gets dribbled past two times every game. These are two areas which could improve, especially considering how his red card against Chelsea in the FA Cup recently affected his team.
Herrera has performed well enough in big games as well. Against Liverpool in October, Herrera made 11 interceptions in that one game itself - the highest any player has managed to accumulate in a single game in the Premier League this season.
Herrera’s transformation has been one of the few positives for Manchester United this season apart from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s goals and their Carling Cup win, but they find themselves in 6th position behind their rivals.
That being said, Herrera needs to step it up a notch to become the best in the Premier League and he certainly has the talent to get there. But he must be cautious about red cards as this stat reveals.
#3 Victor Wanyama – Tottenham Hotspur
Victory Wanyama has been Tottenham’s chief destroyer in the centre of the park. The 25-year-old has been a standout performer for Tottenham in midfield (apart from Eriksen going forward) and his team are in second place in the Premier League table.
Wanyama gets dribbled past the least on this list – he gets beaten just 1.1 times per game. He also makes the most clearances out of all the players in this list at 2 per game which proves that he is a no-nonsense defensive midfielder. However, overall out of 27 games(the highest in the list), Wanyama averages just 2.7 tackles, and 1.2 interceptions per game which is the lowest average in the list and are areas he needs to improve in.
He makes 0.3 blocks a game, which is respectable, but his importance to Tottenham’s overall play and their resultant second placed position pips him over Herrera. Wanyama has been instrumental to Spurs’ victories this season enforcing the midfield and protecting his back-line.
Spurs are tied with Chelsea in conceding just 20 goals this season and this impressive defensive record is another reason why Wanyama should be praised.
#2 Jordan Henderson – Liverpool
The Liverpool captain is having one of his best seasons this campaign under Jurgen Klopp. The 26-year-old Englishman has been ever-present for the Reds in the heart of their midfield and despite people lauding him for his passing, his defensive stats are much more admirable.
Henderson averages 3.7 tackles per game which is the second highest in the Premier League, behind only Gueye. Overall, out of 24 games, the English midfielder averages 1.7 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per game. He leads in the least fouls conceded department, conceding just 1.2 fouls per game and gets dribbled past just 1.6 times per game. However, he averages only 0.1 blocks per game which is an area he can improve in.
The Liverpool captain has performed well in big games this season which reflects in Liverpool’s record against the top six – out of 9 games against top six opposition, Liverpool have picked up 19 points out of 27. While Chelsea, who are second best, have picked up just 13 points out of 24 in 8 games against the top six.
Henderson also scored a great goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge early on in the season and was instrumental in beating Arsenal in the Premier League recently.
His passing statistics are far ahead of his competition in this list proving that he is more complete but his team has not performed as well under his leadership and find themselves fourth in the table. He could use some support from his teammates defensively to concede lesser goals.
#1 N’Golo Kante – Chelsea
N'Golo Kante was a no-brainer as number one in this list. He has been perhaps the most vital part of Chelsea’s jigsaw under Antonio Conte. The 25-year-old Frenchman may not lead the statistics outright but he has quietly done his job to help in Chelsea’s rise to the top of the Premier League this season.
His individual performances in big games speak for itself. He scored against Manchester United in the 4-0 drubbing at Stamford Bridge and again recently in the Blues’ 1-0 victory over the Red Devils in the FA Cup. He was ever present against Spurs and Arsenal; he might have been at fault for not closing down Christian Eriksen for Dele Alli’s goals in the game Chelsea lost, but he is human after all.
Against Liverpool at Anfield, Kante made 16 tackles and was successful in winning 14 of them. To put that into perspective, no player on the pitch that night made more than four. Jordan Henderson won just two out of four that night. That was a one-off game, but overall, out of 26 games, Kante averages 3.6 tackles a game which is the third-best in the Premier League.
Additionally, he averages 2.3 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, concedes 1.5 fouls( just 0.3 more than Henderson) and makes 0.1 blocks per game. Kante rarely gets beaten by players. On an average, he gets dribbled past just 1.2 times per game, which is just 0.1 times more than Wanyama.
He is the complete defensive midfielder, however, his blocks per game and passing could improve.
