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Successful sides are built on a solid spine and the Premier League is home to some of the best defensive midfielders in world football
There are some brilliant ball-winners and deep-lying playmakers in the Premier League who specialize in protecting the back four and breaking up play. These players rarely receive the praise of their attacking counterparts but they play a crucial role in bringing balance to the side.
We have ranked the five best defensive midfielders in the Premier League right now.
5. Fabinho (Liverpool)
We start off our list with the Liverpool midfielder, Fabinho. He has been a vital cog in the Reds midfield since he joined in 2018.
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Although he has had a poor start to the current campaign, his past performances should not be discounted. There have been encouraging signs in recent games but he will need to keep up his form. He is an excellent reader of the game, he has been the shield of the Liverpool backline and is always at the right place at the right time to clean up danger.
4. Declan Rice (West Ham)
Declan Rice has developed into one of the finest defensive midfielders in England and his development has not gone unnoticed at the top clubs. He is now an indispensable figure for club and country and he achieved that by combining excellent ball-winning abilities with a relentless impact in the final third.
A driving force at the heart of the Hammers’ side, his bursts forward have become an added feature of his game, having risen to prominence as a disruptor of opposition attacks. No midfielder has made more interceptions in the Premier League this season, while the England international also boasts the best tackle success rate.
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The midfielder has made the second most interceptions in the Premier League this season and he boasts the best tackle success rate in the league with 90.7%.
3. Thomas Partey (Arsenal)
Arsenal sit top of the Premier League table after an incredible start to the season under Mikel Arteta. There is a perfect balance across the team and Thomas Partey is a huge part of that.
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The Ghana international has overcome his fitness issues and has become a consistent figure in the anchor role, where his ball-winning ability has allowed Granit Xhaka to thrive further forward.
Partey leads his teammates in tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes this season and his influence is exemplified in the Arsenal winning record with and without him in the side. Since his arrival at the club, the north Londoners have won 64% of their Premier League fixtures with Partey in the starting XI and just 47% when he is absent.
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2. Casemiro (Manchester United)
Manchester United finally ended their search for a midfield enforcer last summer, as the club secured the signing of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro. He arrived with a huge reputation as part of the Real Madrid celebrated midfield trio, where he won five Champions League trophies alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
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The on-ball excellence of that duo perhaps hid the technical qualities of the more combative Casemiro to the casual viewer, but the Brazilian has demonstrated his multi-faceted talents since arriving in the Premier League.
After a short adaptation period, he has emerged as a leader for Erik ten Hag. Casemiro has displayed his superb combative talents and combined that with a tenacious desire to regain possession. Manchester United now look more solid and the back four is better protected with Casemiro in front of them.
1. Rodri (Manchester City)
Rodri had a rough start to his Manchester City career but he has recovered spectacularly to become the cornerstone of the City midfield.
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Rodri is an exceptional talent whose attributes are perfectly suited to the demands of his Pep Guardiola. He has been so good that the transition from Fernandinho has been seamless.
He is the ideal deep-lying playmaker and a press-resistant talent who is comfortable using both feet. He can pass long or short depending on what the pass requires. No midfielder in the Premier League has a better passing accuracy this season, with Rodri sitting on a comfortable 91%.
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He also leads the division for touches and passes into the final third this season, while just two players have made more progressive passes. Last season also saw Rodri add goals to his game, scoring a career-high seven league goals.
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