5 Best Defensive Midfielders in the Premier League this season
As Premier League and English football as a whole moved away from the traditional '4-4-2' formation, having a proper 'number 6' became the norm. Having a player whose primary focus was to protect the back four has become a necessity in the game. This change in formation really came to the fore after the influx of foreign players and managers in the late 90's/early 00's.
makelele/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Claude Makelele is perhaps the most well-known early signing for such a position. After moving from Real Madrid to Claudio Ranieri's team in 2003, he effectively renamed the role after himself - the 'Makelele role'. Once Jose Mourinho took over the Blues and started winning Premier League titles with this position filled, the rest of the league started to take notice.
Makelele wasn't the first, but is arguably the most important exponent in this position, leading to many teams playing with defensive midfielders these days. Players have been signed for this position or moved to play this role for tactical reasons.
A few names will be missing from this list, for one reason or another. N'Golo Kante, for example, hasn't had his best season. His omission may be down to his usual high standards and so he can count himself unlucky to miss out. The likes of Jorginho and Wilfried Ndidi have similarly had disappointing seasons and Bruno Guimaraes would be a shoo-in had he played more than 15 Premier League games.
Without further ado, let's get straight to the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League this season:
#5 Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
It has been a very stop-start Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur this term but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been a consistent performer in the middle of the park. A tough competitor, the Dane has been a leading figure for Spurs since arriving under Jose Mourinho.
A good tackler and a very physical part of Antonio Conte's side, he is beginning to form a solid midfield base alongside Rodrigo Bentancur. In the Premier League, his tackle completion is above 60% and his recovery work is exemplory, recovering the ball more than 250 times already this season. With a couple of goals and two assists to go along with his defensive work, he has helped the team stay in contention for the elusive Champions League places.
#4 Yves Bissouma
It may be slightly surprising to place Brighton & Hove Albion's Yves Bissouma on the list of 'defensive' midfielders. However, the Malian powerhouse can do it all. Renowned for his energy and his ability to bring the ball forward into more attacking situations, his defensive work is not something to be sniffed at.
His 66% tackle success rate in the Premier League this season has been vital, especially for a team such as Brighton, who are an attack-minded team with maurading fullbacks. The Seagulls no. 8 has won over 130 duels in the middle of the park too, highlighting the difficulty teams are having getting past him. Perhaps the only issue with Bissouma's defensive work is his discipline, already racking up 10 bookings in the Premier League this season.
#3 Rodri
Replacing Fernandinho was always going to be a difficult ask for Manchester City, but Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante has made it look easy. The Spaniard had a difficult early start to his City career, but hasn't looked back since. Sometimes deployed as the only real midfielder for Pep Guardiola's men, he is one of the first names on the team sheet.
He has been on top of his defensive abilities this Premier League season, which has helped shield a backline that has only conceded 21 goals this season, the lowest in the league. Rodri also scored six goals for the Cityzens this Premier League campaign. With over 260 recoveries, it's plain to see his importance to this side. The former Atletico Madrid man has been a vital cog in Guardiola's passing system, averaging almost 90 passes per game is one of the highest numbers in the league.
#2 Fabinho
Liverpool pulled off a bit of a surprise purchase in signing Fabinho from Monaco soon after their defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final in 2018. The signing seemed to address the missing piece in Jurgen Klopp's ever-improving side. This proved right as Liverpool again reached the Champions League final the following season, winning against Tottenham Hotspur. He also helped the Reds in their quest for the Premier League the season after.
2018-19: 1 goal
2019-20: 2 goals
2020-21: 0 goals
2021-22: 8 goals and counting
Fabinho has added goals to his game for Liverpool this season 🎯 https://t.co/jufiYWoPxh
Fabinho's improvement took a bit of a hit in the 2020-21 Premier League season but it wasn't all down to him. Injuries to all of Liverpool's senior central defenders like Virgil van Dijk that season meant the Brazilian was often played out of position to accomadade. A return to his favored defensive midfield position this season has coincided with Liverpool fighting on four fronts.
The man Klopp refers to as the 'Lighthouse' has a knack of being in the right place at the right time. He has added goals to his game, with five so far this season. The Brazilian has also made 192 recoveries, won 126 duels and has a tackle success rate of 55% this Premier League season. He is the base of the Liverpool midfield and has built great partnerships with Thiago and Jordan Henderson.
#1 Declan Rice
Declan Rice’s first half by numbers vs Norwich:
100% ground duels won
100% long ball accuracy (6/6)
100% take-ons successful
92% pass accuracy
55 touches
45 passes completed
7 ball recoveries
3 interceptions
Phenomenal. 🔥🔥 https://t.co/cnbYDZaU0H
"Mr. West Ham", to be such an influential player at the age of 23 in itself is amazing. But to lead the Hammers to the semi-finals of a European competition and still perform above expectations in the Premier League shows Declan Rice's class. The former Chelsea youth player arguably has a harder job than others on this list as his teammates are of lesser quality.
A leader on the pitch, Rice has taken on an almost Steven Gerrard-esque role in his team. He is the man his teammates turn to when something special is needed. Already a first-team pick for Gareth Southgate's England XI, the sky really is the limit for him.
As well as shielding the defense, Rice also helps in pushing David Moyes' men forward. On top of his 70 clearances this Premier League season and over 270 recoveries, he has also contributed at the other end with five direct goal involvements so far.