Ranking the 10 best Premier League defenders in 2021
Another fun-filled and thrilling year for Premier League football is coming to an end. The current campaign has everything to play for, with three prime title contenders within six-points of each other. These are leaders Manchester City followed by Liverpool and Chelsea. December, like always, brought to our screens some frantic and relentless football.
Despite the odd fixtures getting postponed due to the COVID outbreak, the Premier League delivered on the promise of high-quality action. There's not been much rest for players in Europe this calendar year who have played football consistently, both for club and country.
Premier League defenders have delivered world class performances in 2021
With the English top-flight being the most competitive around Europe, the margin for error has been bleak and nothing but high standards are accepted. Football is a game where most of us are used to irregular flurries, a period when a certain footballer feels untouchable. But it is a different ball game to sustain that form.
However, there are some names that have managed to stay consistent in the Premier League throughout this calendar year. The focus in particular is on those defenders who kept their fitness levels high and rarely missed any minutes of action. They went to war to save goals and even contributed with the odd ones.
Here are the top 10 defenders of the Premier League in the calendar year 2021.
#10 Aaron Cresswell
Aaron Cresswell is often mentioned as a passing name in the conversation for the best full-backs in the Premier League. However, he has been an immense figure for West Ham United. Under David Moyes' management he was one of their most crucial players in making the Europa League qualification last season.
The 32-year old is a balanced player when it comes to his ability as a fullback. He has a flare about him when it comes to attacking and remains solid while defending. Cresswell is among the few Premier League players gifted with the ability to create special moments from dead balls.
👀⚒ Aaron Cresswell has a chipped bone in his back which is a lot worse than originally feared
Both the player and club are unable to put a specific time frame on his return
(@ExWHUemployee) https://t.co/K2lMAi180N
Despite being used in the back-three a significant number of times, the defender has been a creative force. He has created the most chances for West Ham, delivered five assists and also scored one goal this year alone.
The 32-year old has contested the duels firmly and has remained solid in one-vs-one situations throughout.
Cresswell has been out injured for the last six games for the Hammers. Their Premier League top-four hopes have been derailed in his absence.
#9 Virgil Van Dijk
When you talk about defenders in the Premier League, it is usually understood that Virgil van Dijk would be spoken very highly of. Usually lists like these will feature the Liverpool centre-back at the top but this has been a difficult year for him.
Van Dijk played just five Premier League matches in the 2020-21 campaign due to a season-ending cruciate ligament rupture. In this calendar year, he has only played 17 games. For those reasons one could be excused for leaving the Dutchman off this list. But his presence in the Liverpool defense shows exactly why he is here.
Four years ago today, Virgil van Dijk joined Liverpool. His record since signing:
▪️ 106 W
▪️ 20 D
▪️ 23 L
▪️ Unbeaten at home in the league
😤 https://t.co/YgvcjfKmjN
Since his comeback, Liverpool have lost only one game in the English top-flight. In fact, in his absence the Reds lost games by a margin of two goals twice and even by three goals once this calendar year. There's hardly a more commanding centre-back in the Premier League than the Netherlands international.
With him, the Liverpool defense has felt more planted and up to their pace. The aggression and intensity is back in the Reds squad with the return of the colossal defender. The tall centre-back is used to bullying strikers with his strength and wins an impressive 3.78 aerial duels per 90 minutes.
#8 Ben White
There was speculation regarding the signing amount that Arsenal spent on Ben White to bring him to the club. That money seems more justified the more we see of the defender in Arsenal colors. The 24 year-old was signed for £50m, making him the third most expensive Gunners player.
Keeping that figure aside, it is hard to argue that White did not deserve an upgrade over Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League. He was top notch under Graham Potter, who utilized his versatality in the best way possible and is now flourishing at Arsenal.
I haven’t seen a single post about Varane vs Ben White since the start of the season. I guess United fans want none of that smoke 🤷♂️ https://t.co/8bk5wzsPi2
The Englishman missed only three games in 2021, one for Brighton and two for Arsenal. He has played in the back-three and back-four systems. He even played as a defensive midfielder throughout the year and has been comfortable in all roles.
White's ability to progress the ball from the back while carrying it is among the best in the Premier League. The former-Brighton man has often been compared to the likes of Tyrone Mings and Harry Maguire.
Interestingly, he made the most interceptions and tackles (3.13) per 90 minutes of all English players in the Premier League last season.