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We are reaching the business end of the Premier League campaign and this season has been as entertaining as ever. The Premier League is arguably the best league in the world and some of the best in the world ply their trade here.
So, in this slideshow, we take a look at the top 10 full-backs in the Premier League so far. Full-backs are one of the most underappreciated players in world football, but they are indispensable to any football team. They are high on stamina and continuously run up and down the flanks.
Modern-day full-backs have to attack as much as they defend and that only makes the job harder. It was very difficult to pick the best full-backs in the Premier League this season as there have been some brilliant performers throughout the season.
Before beginning with the slideshow, it is only right to mention the players who just missed out from featuring in this list:
Honourable mentions: Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspurs), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Danny Rose ( Tottenham Hotspurs), Sead Kolasinac ( Arsenal)
All the above-mentioned players were considered but they just didn't make the cut to feature in the top 10 list. This list is purely based on the performances this season and not reputation.
So, without further ado, here are the top 10 full-backs in the Premier League this season:
#10 Ricardo Pereira
Pereira signed for Leicester City at the start of the season and he has been one of the good things to come out from the Claude Puel-era at the King Power Stadium. The Portuguese has been brilliant for the Foxes and he has lived up to his hype and potential.
The 25-year-old is an attacking full-back by nature and he loves to make runs into the box. His devastating pace and skill on the ball have caused many problems for opposing defenders and his defensive contribution has also been great.
The Portuguese has won 56 per cent of his tackles and 54 per cent of his duels this season. He has given a total of 4 assists and has scored 2 goals. He has a crossing accuracy of 14 per cent.
#9 Lucas Digne
When Everton signed a Barcelona flop in Lucas Digne this season, the Goodison Park faithful wouldn't have been expecting much from the full-back, but he has turned to be an excellent signing for the Toffees. The 25-year-old has adapted seamlessly to Marco Silva's gameplay at Everton and he has looked in brilliant form.
The Frenchman is a naturally attacking left-back and his raw pace, combined with his dribbling ability make him very hard to mark. He is brilliant in defence and has a knack of scoring goals too.
The 25-year-old has scored 3 goals this season and provided 4 assists. He has won 70 per cent of his tackles and 59 per cent of his duels. He has a crossing accuracy of 24 per cent.
#8 Matt Doherty
Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a terrific return to life at the Premier League and Doherty is one of the reasons behind it. The Irish full-back has been brilliant for Nuno Espirito Santo's team and he has taken his great form from the Championship to the Premier League.
Playing as the right wing-back, Doherty is an attacking defender who has a knack of being at the right place at the right time. Wolves play free-flowing football and their style of play is dependent on the width provided by the wing-backs.
The 27-year-old has scored 3 goals and made a further 4 this season. He has won 60 per cent of his tackles and 61 per cent of his duels. He has a crossing accuracy of 23 per cent.
#7 Ben Chilwell
Ben Chilwell has had his breakthrough this season and he has finally taken over Christian Fuchs as the primary left-back for Leicester City. He has been brilliant for the Foxes this season and that has seen him play for England this year.
Chilwell is a very hard-working defender, who with his raw pace and skill on the ball can be very hard to mark. His dribbling ability can be compared to the very best and his driving runs from the left side have been a highlight this season. The Englishman is another attacking full-back in this list but can defend very well when called upon.
Chilwell has given a total of 3 assists this season and he has a crossing accuracy of 15 per cent. He has won 57 per cent of his tackles and 53 per cent of his duels.
#6 Cesar Azpilicueta
Cesar Azpilicueta played as a centre-back last season under Antonio Conte and the versatile Spaniard has been playing as a right-back under Maurizio Sarri this season, and he has done a very good job at that. The veteran Spaniard has gone from being one of the best centre-backs in the league last season to one of the best full-backs this season.
Azpilicueta has a great right foot and banging in crosses into the box is his strength, and unlike the modern full-backs who love to attack, the Spaniard loves a challenge or two and is a brilliant one on one defender. The Spaniard has been playing consistently well for Chelsea for the last couple of years and the Blues just can't afford to lose their captain.
The 29-year-old has won 59 per cent of his tackles and 60 per cent of his duels this season. He has given a total of 4 assists and has a crossing accuracy of 19 per cent.
#5 Kyle Walker
Walker has been playing consistently well for Manchester City since he signed for them and he has again been tremendous for the Sky Blues this season. He is one of the most trusted players of Pep Guardiola in this world-class City squad and that is a compliment in itself.
The Englishman is a hard working right-back, whose pace can cause problems for the opposing defence. He has got a great right foot and has scored some screamers this season. His clever movements and link-up play with Bernardo Silva have been great this season, but the Englishman needs to improve his crossing.
The 28-year-old has won 68 per cent of his tackles and 58 per cent of his duels this season. He has given 1 assist and has a crossing accuracy of 7 per cent.
#4Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold broke through from Liverpool's academy in 2016 and this season he has established himself as the first choice right-back for Jurgen Klopp's team. Trent has improved vastly and he has been brilliant for the Reds this season.
The young Englishman has improved his crossing and positioning sense vastly from last season and some his balls from the right side have been a delight to watch. His link-up play with Mohamed Salah can improve, but that doesn't take away the quality of his play.
The 20-year-old has won 71 per cent of his tackles and 44 per cent of his duels this season. He has given a total of 6 assists and has a crossing accuracy of 24 per cent.
#3 Luke Shaw
Not so long ago, everyone thought that Luke Shaw's career at Manchester United is done, but what has followed in the past year is a brilliant story in itself. Shaw has established himself as the first choice left-back at Manchester United and he has been immense for the Red Devils in recent matches.
The Englishman has dropped his weight and looks fitter and more agile. The 23-year-old is another attacking full-back but his defensive play has also impressed this season. Slowly but surely, Shaw is living up to his potential and if injuries don't come and bother him, he may establish himself as one of the best full-backs in world football.
Shaw has won 52 per cent of his tackles and 60 per cent of his duels this season. He has given a total of 3 assists and has a crossing accuracy of 28 per cent.
#2 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Wan-Bissaka broke through into Crystal Palace's first eleven last season and this term he has established himself as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League, which is a huge achievement for the young man. The young Englishman has been solid a solid right-back for the Eagles.
He is one of the very few full-backs in the world who is a natural defender and it has proved almost impossible to get past him this season. He is a brilliant one-on-one defender and the defensive stats he has produced this season are absolutely unbelievable. The full-back needs to improve his crossing but keeping that aside, he is arguably the best defensive full-back in the world.
The 21-year-old has won 88 per cent of his tackles and 67 per cent of his duels. He has given 2 assists this season and has a crossing accuracy of 22 per cent.
#1 Andy Robertson
Robertson signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2017 and he has been one of the best signings of Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. He has been absolutely brilliant for the Reds this season and he is arguably the best left-back in world football at the moment.
Robertson is the type of full-back who covers every blade of grass in the field and his clever movements off the ball are a joy to behold. The Scottish left-back does the work on both ends of the field and his link-up play with Sadio Mane and James Milner on the left side has also improved from last season.
The 25-year-old has won 64 per cent of his tackles and 55 per cent of his duels this season. He has given a total of 9 assists and has a crossing accuracy of 14 per cent.
