There may have been plenty of high scoring games, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some immensely impressive defenders in the Premier League so far this season.
From those that have been rock solid at the back, to those that have dazzled at the other end of the pitch, plenty have caught the eye.
Here’s who we think are the best at the moment.
Many doubted Lisandro Martinez could handle the Premier League given his height when Man Utd signed him, but he was doing a stellar job of proving them wrong, until the Manchester derby.
To be fair to him, he wasn’t any worse than the rest of his defence, but it was a poor display from him nonetheless as his team did concede six goals.
Newcastle have conceded just twice in their last three matches, and that’s largely down to Fabian Schar.
The centre-back has been imperious at the centre of defence, dominating in the air and making numerous blocks.
Playing in the defence that has conceded the fewest goals of any team, Conor Cody has made a fine start to life at Everton.
He got on the scoresheet against Southampton at the weekend, but it’s his excellent defensive work that gets him on this list.
Arsenal have made a flying start to the season, and the signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko has played a big part in that.
He has changed the way they play, being deployed as an inverted wing-back, and it’s a change that has improved the team hugely thanks to his intelligence and ability on the ball.
Even with Chelsea signing Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly, Thiago Silva has remained the best centre-back at the club.
While those around him have been shaky, the 38-year-old has produced a number of excellent performances.
Reece James has arguably been Chelsea’s player of the season so far, making an impact at both ends of the pitch.
The wing-back has bagged a goal, an assist and has created a number of chances, but he has also performed his defensive duties well. A real all-rounder.
Crystal Palace’s start to the season hasn’t been good, but it would be even worse if not for Joachim Andersen.
The Dane has comfortably been their best player, with his defensive work and ability on the ball being invaluable for Patrick Vieira’s side.
Only one full-back has been better than Trippier this season and it’s not a surprise it is, with Cancelo continuing to dazzle at Manchester City.
Perhaps his best moment – a glorious assist for Erling Haaland – came in the Champions League, but he has been excellent domestically too, often running the show as an inverted wing-back.
Many thought we’d seen the best of Kieran Trippier when he left Tottenham in 2019, but that hasn’t been the case.
The full-back has been excellent at both ends of the pitch since joining Newcastle and has surely secured his spot in the World Cup squad as a result.
Arsenal’s defence was generally good last season, but William Saliba has taken it to the next level since returning from Marseille.
With the exception of an unlucky own goal, the Frenchman has been flawless at the back, so good in fact that he’s convinced Mikel Arteta to reshuffle the whole backline to fit him in, moving Ben White to right-back.
Add Comment