Ranking the 5 best defensive midfielders of 2021
It is said that football games are won and lost in the midfield. The battles at the center of the pitch dictate who ends up exerting control over a game. The 'beautiful game' has evolved over the years and there is a renewed focus on tactics and player roles.
Defensive midfield is a position that has grown in prominence in recent times. Plenty of coaches across the world use a double midfield pivot to sweep in front of the defence line. Having defensive midfielders as a sort of shield in front of the defenders helps lend stability to the whole team.
The role of a defensive midfielder does not end at winning the ball back. They also need to recycle possession, help the team settle into shape and kickstart counter attacks.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best defensive midfielders of 2021.
#5 Fabinho (Brazil/Liverpool)
When Fabinho left AS Monaco to join Liverpool in 2018, nobody could have predicted the kind of impact he'd have in the Premier League. The Brazilian international quickly became undroppable and even today, he is one of the first names on Jurgen Klopp's teamsheet.
Fabinho is a very intelligent footballer with a great reading of the game. The 28-year-old loves a tackle and is very efficient at impeding the opposition's attacking forays. Fabinho also presses quite effectively, which is a key feature of Liverpool's game under Jurgen Klopp.
His discipline and game intelligence have been so on point that he even slotted in at centre-back regularly during Liverpool's injury crisis in the 2020-21 season.
Fabinho vs Norwich (A)
Game changer https://t.co/BW6fbGMcWL
#4 Jorginho (Italy/Chelsea)
Jorginho is not built like most defensive midfielders these days. He has a slender figure but he makes up for his lack of physicality with his technical excellence. The Italian international had a wonderful summer in 2021.
He was a vital cog in Chelsea's system as they won the UEFA Champions League. Jorginho was also an important member of the Italian side that had a triumphant run at Euro 2020. He was also named UEFA's Men's Player of the Year.
Jorginho is excellent at reading the game. This enables him to cut passing lanes and make interceptions regularly. He is very important to his team as far as winning possession back is concerned.
But Jorginho's main strength is his distribution. He keeps things ticking in midfield by playing slick short passes. Jorginho can also spread the ball out to the wings and play some wonderful through balls to his forwards from deep.
This skill was filthy from Jorginho.. 🥶 https://t.co/BADWz8tuYJ