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#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.
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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.
