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Another fun-filled and thrilling year for Premier League football is coming to an end. The current campaign has everything to play for, with three prime title contenders within six-points of each other. These are leaders Manchester City followed by Liverpool and Chelsea. December, like always, brought to our screens some frantic and relentless football.
Despite the odd fixtures getting postponed due to the COVID outbreak, the Premier League delivered on the promise of high-quality action. There's not been much rest for players in Europe this calendar year who have played football consistently, both for club and country.
Premier League defenders have delivered world class performances in 2021
With the English top-flight being the most competitive around Europe, the margin for error has been bleak and nothing but high standards are accepted. Football is a game where most of us are used to irregular flurries, a period when a certain footballer feels untouchable. But it is a different ball game to sustain that form.
However, there are some names that have managed to stay consistent in the Premier League throughout this calendar year. The focus in particular is on those defenders who kept their fitness levels high and rarely missed any minutes of action. They went to war to save goals and even contributed with the odd ones.
Here are the top 10 defenders of the Premier League in the calendar year 2021.
#10 Aaron Cresswell
Aaron Cresswell is often mentioned as a passing name in the conversation for the best full-backs in the Premier League. However, he has been an immense figure for West Ham United. Under David Moyes' management he was one of their most crucial players in making the Europa League qualification last season.
The 32-year old is a balanced player when it comes to his ability as a fullback. He has a flare about him when it comes to attacking and remains solid while defending. Cresswell is among the few Premier League players gifted with the ability to create special moments from dead balls.
Despite being used in the back-three a significant number of times, the defender has been a creative force. He has created the most chances for West Ham, delivered five assists and also scored one goal this year alone.
The 32-year old has contested the duels firmly and has remained solid in one-vs-one situations throughout.
Cresswell has been out injured for the last six games for the Hammers. Their Premier League top-four hopes have been derailed in his absence.
#9 Virgil Van Dijk
When you talk about defenders in the Premier League, it is usually understood that Virgil van Dijk would be spoken very highly of. Usually lists like these will feature the Liverpool centre-back at the top but this has been a difficult year for him.
Van Dijk played just five Premier League matches in the 2020-21 campaign due to a season-ending cruciate ligament rupture. In this calendar year, he has only played 17 games. For those reasons one could be excused for leaving the Dutchman off this list. But his presence in the Liverpool defense shows exactly why he is here.
Since his comeback, Liverpool have lost only one game in the English top-flight. In fact, in his absence the Reds lost games by a margin of two goals twice and even by three goals once this calendar year. There's hardly a more commanding centre-back in the Premier League than the Netherlands international.
With him, the Liverpool defense has felt more planted and up to their pace. The aggression and intensity is back in the Reds squad with the return of the colossal defender. The tall centre-back is used to bullying strikers with his strength and wins an impressive 3.78 aerial duels per 90 minutes.
#8 Ben White
There was speculation regarding the signing amount that Arsenal spent on Ben White to bring him to the club. That money seems more justified the more we see of the defender in Arsenal colors. The 24 year-old was signed for £50m, making him the third most expensive Gunners player.
Keeping that figure aside, it is hard to argue that White did not deserve an upgrade over Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League. He was top notch under Graham Potter, who utilized his versatality in the best way possible and is now flourishing at Arsenal.
The Englishman missed only three games in 2021, one for Brighton and two for Arsenal. He has played in the back-three and back-four systems. He even played as a defensive midfielder throughout the year and has been comfortable in all roles.
White's ability to progress the ball from the back while carrying it is among the best in the Premier League. The former-Brighton man has often been compared to the likes of Tyrone Mings and Harry Maguire.
Interestingly, he made the most interceptions and tackles (3.13) per 90 minutes of all English players in the Premier League last season.
#7 James Tarkowski
Easily one of the roughest and sturdiest defenders in the Premier League, James Tarkowski has had another year full of solid individual performances. You cannot imagine a Burnley side without him at this stage.
The 29-year-old is being courted by West Ham and other Premier League sides and a move to a bigger club would be well deserved. As far as stats go, Tarkowski is up there with the best. In fact, he has more impressive stats than those ranked higher than him. His 159 clearances last season were the third highest and has made 71 this season already.
Tarkowski made 42 blocks in the Premier League last season, third highest again, and has already made the most blocks (25) this season. The centre-back has missed only one game for Burnley this calendar year. Despite his strong performances, the team have been poor and have conceded goals.
The Clarets defender is great in the air and one of the most difficult to outmuscle in the Premier League. Whichever club avails his services next season will have a top man at their disposal.
#6 Thiago Silva
He may be one of the oldest footballers playing in the Premier League, but Thiago Silva has truly defied age since his Chelsea switch. The veteran has had a remarkable 2021. He won the Champions League for the first time after multiple failed attempts with Paris Saint-Germain. He has been equally impressive in the Premier League.
Silva brings loads of experience to the Chelsea dressing room and his leadership has contributed to the Blues' impeccable defense. In 2021, he made 29 Premier League appearances and Thomas Tuchel managed his game-time with great care.
Whenver the 37-year-old took to the field, he was lively and often seen barking instructions and arranging Chelsea's rearguard. The Brazilian plays intelligent passes from the back without moving out of position unnecessarily.
He has been a constant threat from set-piece situations and scored twice in 2021. This season Silva has managed an impressive feat of playing the most accurate passes (142) in a single Premier League match.
#5 Reece James
By no means was Reece James a bad defender in 2020. However, it can be argued that he has been one of the most improved players this year. It was clear that among the many right-back options Gareth Southgate had, James was clear of them all defensively. But the attacking flare that the 22-year-old has displayed this year has been quite sensational.
He has been a regular in Thomas Tuchel's side as a right wing-back and is used to moving up and down the flank relentlessly. In the second half of 2021 alone, James scored four goals and provided five assists in the Premier League.
The confidence he has with the ball at his feet, the passes he delivers and how he progresses the ball forward is second to none. Despite doing all that, the right-back holds his ground using his strength and is difficult to dribble past. Slowly and steadily, James is becoming a complete player.
His sharp and accurate crosses, the ability to read the game and his physicality while defending have made him one of the best fullbacks in the Premier League.
#4 Trent Alexander-Arnold
Moving on from a man who has developed the attacking aspect of his game massively to a man who has always been a dangerous attacking weapon. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been in red-hot form since the 2021-22 Premier League campaign began.
Clearly his second half of 2021 has been much more impressive than his first half and helped him climb this list. Defending is something that the 23-year-old has been criticized for constantly. However, some of his tackles throughout the year have saved crucial points.
Alexander-Arnold has only missed two games for Liverpool this calendar year in the Premier League. He is the second highest assist provider this season (8) and has produced excellent set-pieces. In 2021, he registered 13 assists in total and four goals.
Jurgen Klopp has given him additional freedom to move more centrally towards midfield, which has helped him showcase his vision and creativity. He has delivered superbly weighted through balls to Mo Salah and Sadio Mane who have made the most of them.
#3 Antonio Rudiger
Chelsea's best centre-back in the Premier League and otherwise. It is quite astonishing that Chelsea have been unable to secure Antonio Rudiger's contract situation. With half of the season gone by the Blues' European competitors Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are eager to sign him.
The 28-year-old has made 35 appearances this year in the Premier League. In the absence of Virgil van Dijk, he was often spoken of in greater regard. Rudiger's physicality and passion for the game have been crucial to Chelsea's success. He is a great tackler and physically their most competitive player, second only to Romelu Lukaku.
His defensive stats do not stand out from the bunch, but his ball-playing ability and shielding is quite exceptional. The sight of Rudiger starting in the Chelsea box and continuing a marauding run into the other penalty box is becoming more frequent.
The German notched up three goals and two assists in 2021. His ability to play from the back has often helped the Blues launch quick counter attacks in the Premier League.
#2 Joao Cancelo
We saw the best of Joao Cancelo in 2021, things we knew he was capable of and things we never guessed he was packing. He was pivotal to Manchester City's title run last season and this season he's been spot on in their title defense so far.
The Premier League has hardly seen a more verstalite defender than Cancelo. He has nailed both left-back and right-back positions in 2021. Pep Guardiola has utilized his ability to hold the ball and progress it to add to City's possession-based game.
The Portuguese has contributed with three goals and six assists in the Premier League this year. Given how good he has been as a makeshift left-back, there should be no surprises to see him in the conversation for best-left backs as well. He played a great number of passes directly into the final-third which has helped Man City score goals even without a striker.
Cancelo's great number of tackles and interceptions were down to his advanced reading of the game. The best part being that he executes them without error. But that has been his game throughout this calendar year, flawless.
#1 Ruben Dias
A defender getting the player of the season award in the English Premier League is somewhat rare. A defender receiving it in their first year is even rarer. Ruben Dias is the man who accomplished that feat and has definitely been the best defender in the English top-flight this year.
Manchester City have a lot to thank Dias for helping them reach their maiden Champions League final and last season's Premier League triumph. Since the Portuguese arrived, Guardiola's side have become almost impenetrable and even a shaky John Stones has started thriving in his presence.
The intensity of his tackles, the physicality with which he wrestles with strikers in the penalty box and his aerial prowess have all been immaculate. This year alone, Dias has attempted over 4000 passes with a accuracy rate of greater than 90%.
He won the FWA Footballer of the Year award and City's Player of the Year as well. Ruben Dias has been truly world class this year and his name will soon be taken alongside Premier League royalty.
