5 best tacklers in the Premier League right now
The Premier League is arguably the toughest and most demanding top-flight league across Europe. As such, the league is filled with a lot of players who would love to make a tackle or two, whether in defense or in the middle of the park.
With games in England's top-tier played at a frantic pace, players who love to tackle must walk a disciplinary tightrope. If the tackle is unsuccessful, they may risk giving away a foul and earning a card or losing the attacker on the run.
Several Premier League teams possess excellent tacklers
Many Premier League teams possess excellent players who are adept at lunging into tackles and coming away with the ball in a fair way. So here, we take a look at the five best tacklers in the Premier League right now.
These players have been selected based on their tackle success rate from the start of the 2020-21 season till date. Players who have played a majority of the previous season as well as this season have only been considered for this list. So without further adieu, let's take a look at them:
#5 Wilfred Ndidi - Leicester City
After the departure of N'Golo Kante to Chelsea, Leicester City were in search of a new defensive midfielder. Their search led to Wilfred Ndidi, who arrived from Genk in 2017 for around £16 million. The Nigerian international has certainly not disappointed so far and has cemented his reputation at both club and international level.
Ndidi has been crucial to the Foxes' top six finish in the Premier League for the last two seasons and was also a key part of their FA Cup win last season.
The 24-year-old is one of the best tacklers in the Premier League, with his excellent positional awareness helping him intercept opposition attacks flawlessly. He is great at breaking up play and winning the ball back. His defensive abilities have allowed Brendan Rodgers to surround him with more attacking players in midfield.
Since the start of last season, Ndidi has made 72 successful tackes in the Premier League, with a success rate of 63.15 per cent. During the 2020-21 campaign, the midfielder had a tackle success rate of 66 per cent, one of the highest in the Premier league.
Wilfred Ndidi appreciation tweet 🔥
#CommunityShield @LCFC https://t.co/bdgpGULbK1
Ndidi's skills in midfield have certainly attracted a lot of attention from big clubs across Europe. However, Leicester will be hoping to hold onto the midfielder for as long as possible in a bid to establish themselves as a major force in the Premier League.
#4 Aaron Wan-Bissaka - Manchester United
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has often been criticized for his lack of attacking output but there's no doubt that he is one of the best defensive full-backs in the Premier League.
After a breakthrough season with Crystal Palace in 2018, Wan-Bissaka moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2019 for £50 million. Since then, he has been a regular starter at right-back for the Red Devils and has made over 100 appearances for them in all competitions.
The 23-year-old's pace and athleticism has helped him stop the attackers in their tracks. The England international is often regarded as the toughest one-on-one defender in the Premier League.
The full-back has made 65 successful tackles since the start of last season and has a tackle success rate of 63.72 per cent. This season alone, Wan-Bissaka has made 11 successful tackles so far, with a success rate of a whopping 79 per cent.
One year ago, Aaron Wan-Bissaka signed for Manchester United 🔴
Name a better defensive full-back, we'll wait 🕷 #mufc https://t.co/OGMrN8HMPn
If Wan-Bissaka starts to perform consistently on the attacking front as well, then the youngster could certainly go on to become one of the best full-backs in Europe.