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Tactics and formation in football might have evolved a lot during the Premier League era, but bossing the midfield battle remains a key factor in winning the game. Teams with star attacking players often struggle in big games when there is a lack of talent in the midfield department.
During the initial days of the league, clubs often fielded two strikers upfront with two central midfielders and the remaining two offering width on the flanks. The arrival of Jose Mourinho gave birth to deep-lying playmakers and attacking midfielders.
Pep Guardiola’s revolutionary Barcelona team consisting of the Iniesta-Busquets-Xavi trio completely changed the way people perceived the midfield. Since then, clubs have looked for midfielders with vision and creativity to change the tempo of the game. In the last 2-3 seasons, Premier League has showcased many teams with versatility and dynamism in the middle of the park. In this article, we will look at four teams with the best midfield in the Premier League.
#4 Leicester City
Brendan Rodgers’ side has been a relevation this season. Leicester City’s fluid playing style has impressed many and is a huge reason why they are second in the Premier League. Their midfield consisting of Wilfred Ndidi, James Maddison and Youri Tielemans have outclassed almost every opponent this season.
Ndidi, one of the most underrated players in the Premier League, is the glue which holds this team together. He has often won the physical battle in the central midfield and registered the most tackles last season. He is averaging 5.1 tackles per game this season, the highest in Europe’s top five leagues.
There was immense hype around Tielemans when he became the youngest Belgian to feature in the UEFA Champions League but he fell off the radar due to inconsistency. He seems to be back to his best with 3 goals and 3 assist in the league and offers the creative spark in the midfield.
Maddison is the one who gets a lot of attention during every game, mainly because of his mazy runs from the midfield and the ability to pass perfectly in the box.
#3 Chelsea
Similar to Rodgers, Frank Lampard has revolutionised the Blues and they play some of the most attractive football in Europe. He often employs a 4-2-3-1 formation with Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic playing deep.
Jorginho, who looked like a shadow of his past under Maurizio Sarri, seems to have regained his lost mojo under Lampard. He is among the best passers in the League with an average of 78.8 per game, at a success rate of 88.3%. He also plays out an average of 0.3 through balls per game, the second-best in the league.
Kovacic’s signing raised a lot of question marks but like Jorginho, he has also discovered a way to control the flow of the game from the midfield. At his best, no midfielder in the world can match up to N’Golo Kante and he is slowly gaining his fitness after an injury-hit season. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, when he comes back from injury, will add another dimension to this Chelsea team.
#2 Liverpool
Though their midfield lacks the star power and is often cricticised for being one dimensional, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team has solidity and years of experience behind them, which is invaluable in high-pressure games. Their skipper Jordan Henderson is among the best decision-makers in the Premier League and contributes a lot to his team’s pressing.
Georginio Wijnaldum can play on both the flanks and offers a lot of dynamism in the midfield. Fabinho has been a class apart this season and his immaculate long balls to Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have left the opposition clueless on a number of occasions. James Milner is mostly used as a substitute these days and even at this age has endless energy and can play in any position ranging from left-back to right-wing.
Naby Keita was brought to bring some much-needed creativity, but his time at Anfield has been hampered by injuries. Finally, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has scored wonder goals at an astonishing frequency this season and he might feature in some major Champions League fixtures, mainly because of his shooting skills.
#1 Manchester City
When Pep Guardiola decided to join Manchester City, many experts believed he has to change his midfield tactics to suit the physical demands of the Premier League. 4 years later, Guardiola’s short, quick and creative midfielders are ruling England while the other clubs have still not found a way to stop City’s machine-like midfield.
Fernandinho and Rodri are among the most solid defensive midfielders in Europe and Rodri is the third most accurate passer in the League with a success percentage of 92. Kevin De Bruyne is arguably the best player in the League this season with nine assists. His incredible right foot keeps producing astonishing crosses and defence splitting passes.
David Silva and Bernardo Silva are both versatile and the combination plays with full-backs are a nightmare for any team in Europe. Ilkay Gundogan has a keen eye for goal and always makes threatening runs into the box to surprise the opposition. This City midfield is easily the best in Europe and when all of them are fit, Guardiola’s side is almost invincible.
